


Smoke Signals

by nextweekforsure



Series: How We Came To Be [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Background Relationships, Blind Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Jack is too trusting, M/M, Not A Fix-It, So many flashbacks, Then It Gets Worse Again, Trans Male Character, Trans Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, also, ana is a good bro, and ana and reinhardt, but theres a happy ending, character motivations will be explained in notes, crippling depression jack, have a good time, more of a break it differently, namely hanzo and mccree, neither of them know how to express emotion, no there is not smut, summaries are bad, this is angsty, unhealthy relationship that turns healthy, what are you even supposed to put in tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-10-29 06:46:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10848630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nextweekforsure/pseuds/nextweekforsure
Summary: Gabriel regains control of himself, subduing  the Reaper, and remembers everything that he's lost. He sets out on a course to make things right.





	1. Chapter 1 // Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reaper reacquaints himself with someone from his past.
> 
>  
> 
> PLAYLIST: https://8tracks.com/benothing/smoke-signals-chapter-1-ashes

_ Run.  _ That's all his brain told him to do. Nothing about why, where, or how, just to run. So he did. His boot clad feet barely touched the pavement as he covered as much ground as he could, running from someone. He did not know who. He did not know where he was. He did not know who he was. All he knew was escape. Smoke wisped into the air with his every breath. The stuff was his life source, his entire body was made out of it. His trails did not last long enough for him to be tracked, so he didn't worry about that. Bootprints lasted for mere seconds, then disappeared. He realized this, and wondered how he acquired that skill, no explanation coming to mind. He’d have to know who he was. He knew he was military by the dog tags on his neck. The name read ‘John Morrison. That wasn’t him, he knew that much. Who was he? 

 

He had been running for three hours. His head hurt more and more by the second. He didn't care. All he did know was that he was done running. He would stop at a hotel and rent a room. Whenever he started running, he had money with him, but he still had to face the ordeal of trying to appear human. Being a smoke monster had its perks, but having to face society was not one of them. He could appear human, but it was incredibly taxing to do. It took all of his energy, and made him feel weak. He went into what he remembered referring to as his wraith form, invisible to the naked eye, panning around the small town for the dingiest motel he could find. He never stayed at upper scale places, because their smoke detectors would send an alert at the sense of his smoke, a lesson he had learned the hard way, so he settled with the cheapest motel, the one least likely to have up to date smoke detectors, if they had any at all. 

 

He looked around the entrance to the small lobby of the dingy motel, and reappeared, looking like an actual person. His mask would reappear whenever he wanted it to, but for now, he needed to look normal. He went up to the counter and rented a room for the night. He had no bags, so he carried his key in his left hand, leaving his right hand to fiddle with his coat. He opened his door, and immediately after shutting it, not even bothering to check the smoke detectors, exploded into a cloud of acrid smoke. He took off his long coat, revealing his dark armor. He discarded the mask that reappeared when he smoked out. He wrapped a pair of shotguns in his coat, just in case he was attacked during the night. He went over to the mirror to inspect his appearance. He looked equal parts human and monster. His eyes were shaped like a human's, but the irises were bright red. His skin tone was almost grey, unless he willed it to go back to normal. He looked dead. His face was so scarred, but in a way that it looked like it was intentional, like it was done to make him look scary. He knew that was not the case for many of these scars, although he couldn't remember where he got them. He didn't feel like remembering. Even though he was exhausted, his mind decided to pose one final question. 

 

_ Who am I? _

 

The Reaper didn’t sleep. He just laid down on the cheap mattress, thinking of nothing, and got up the next day, quickly surveying his surroundings. Nothing had changed, besides the lighting due to the placement of the sun in the sky. He felt gross due to the running, but he knew a shower wouldn't help. He just felt gross in general, all the time. He packed up his guns and coats, readying to leave. He wouldn't take advantage of the free breakfast, because eating did nothing for him. He looked out the window to survey his surroundings, seeing six black vans rushing the highway, a warning sign, and decided to stay in his motel room for a bit longer, until the vans were at least ten minutes away. He had no clue who he was running from, but black vans were never a good sign. He waited for the ten minutes, staring at his smoky form in the mirror, occasionally condensing into his human body, admiring the scars that he couldn’t place. He made himself look human to go check out and return his room key.

 

The Reaper walked slowly, as to not raise suspicion. He heard many voices. British. American. Southern. One he couldn’t identify, but that did not sound American or European. The Southern accent sounded extremely familiar to the Reaper, but he had no recollection of any aspect of his life, so he continued walking. The man with the country accent seemed to be approaching him, as many do when they noticed how strange looking he was. 

 

The man with the country accent, clad in a serape, cowboy hat, blue jeans, boots, and spurs tapped him on the shoulder.

 

“Reyes?”

 

The Reaper dissipated into smoke, and dispersed throughout the room, consciousness lost.

 

He was still smoky when he awoke, invisible, but fully formed.  _ Reyes. Gabriel. Gabriel Reyes. Blackwatch Commander. Soldier. Former Strike Commander and founder of Overwatch.  _ A few abstract thoughts came to his mind, but he understood them. That was his identity. Who he was. Somehow, it was the reason why he was this  _ monster _ that he was today. When he condensed enough to take in his surroundings, he saw the cowboy, Jesse McCree, his recruit. He was part of the infamous Deadlock Gang before Blackwatch brought a few of them in for their crimes, giving the members an option between jail and a spot on Blackwatch. Jesse was one of the few to accept. Over the years that Gabriel was Jesse’s Commanding Officer, the two became close, Gabriel even seeing the cowboy as his son. More often than not, McCree would refer to his boss as dad, which seemed weird to outsiders, but when Gabriel called him son, it made them feel complete, like they had a family amidst the death and destruction that was their lives. 

 

Jesse’s revolver was pulled and cocked, with the safety off, and his friend had a bow poised, with an arrow notched. The Reaper condensed into a gaseous form, this time able to be seen, a combination wraith and human form. 

 

“Okay, definitely  _ not  _ Gabriel,” Jesse said, surprise evident in his voice. “Let's get out of here, Han.” His friend nodded, but didn't drop his bow. 

 

The Reaper fell to the ground in a corporeal form, slightly smoking out of old scars and any orifice. “Wait, Jesse.” He knew his voice sounded bad, worse than someone who smokes 20 packs a day. “It is me.” The cowboy turned around, staring at the broken man on the floor. “How can I prove it to you?” Jesse shook his head and started to walk away again. Gabriel stood up. “Goddamn it, you ingrate! Get back over here!”

 

Jesse stopped in his tracks, causing his long haired friend to run into him. 

 

“Commander Reyes?” The unmasked Reaper only nodded, sadness visible in his eyes. “What the hell, man, where have you been?” 

 

“Not here, kid.”

 

That's how Jesse McCree, Hanzo Shimada, and Gabriel Reyes ended up in an alleyway, angrily talking about where the former Blackwatch Commander had been. 

 

“You died, Gabriel. How are you here, why are you this  _ thing _ ?” 

 

Gabriel explained his story, how Mercy’s attempted resurrection went wrong, how he became a wraith, and how he was given to Talon to brainwash him. Jesse stared in awe realizing the hell that his boss had been through. Hanzo did not comment, but connected a lot of different stories about Gabriel that Jesse had told him over the years that they had been together. The smoky man standing in front of him had been Jesse’s only real father figure in his youth. The archer stared with appreciative skepticism. 

 

Gabriel’s face disoriented and reoriented as he realized that he was growing tired. “I need to know, Jesse. Is anyone from the Old Watch alive?”

 

Jesse raised an eyebrow in confusion. “I take it you heard about the recall?”

 

“Of course I did, I’m dead, not an idiot.” Jesse glared and rolled his eyes at Reyes’s unchanging temper. “Okay, fine, sorry, Jesse. But still. Who’s alive?”

 

“I don’t know for sure. Obviously, Winston, and Lena,” when the Reaper made a confused face, Jesse clarified. “Tracer. The really peppy British one you didn’t like, the one with the shiny blue thing over her heart?” Reyes nodded, so McCree continued, Hanzo still saying silent. “Amelie LaCroix is alive, but I bet you know that since you work with her. Angela, Mercy, whatever you call her, is still alive -- she’d been looking for you. Told me that she knows she failed you -- I thought you were dead, so I thought she was crazy.”

 

“Enough with the stories, just give me a list.”

 

“Fine. Torbjorn. Reinhardt. Genji. Angela. Tracer. Me. That’s all I know. Some say that Ana Amari is alive, but I don’t believe them.”

 

“What about Jack?”

 

“Morrison?” Gabriel nodded, eyes downcast. “They never found his body. Close enough to whatever exploded that he was blown to pieces, probably.” The Reaper’s form faltered, fizzing and smoking, with his face turning void, a terrifying mass of teeth, red eyes, and nothingness. He tried to control it, go back to normal, but couldn't. Jesse barely looked fazed. “Shit, man, you okay?”

 

“I have to go, Jesse. Thanks for all the help.”

 

“Wait, why?” 

 

“Reasons.”

 

“Whatever it is, I can handle it,” Jesse started. “Come on, Reyes, you can’t just run!”  Gabriel was already gone. “You can’t just do that.” Hanzo noticed how Jesse’s face fell. He reunited with one of the most important people from his past, and was stranded yet again. The archer gently placed a hand on the cowboy’s shoulder.

 

“Let us go, Jesse. Waiting will not do us any good.”


	2. Chapter 2 // Still Remembering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is reunited with another old friend, and they set out.

The mention of Jack Morrison brought out more of Gabriel Reyes than the Reaper would've liked -- it brought back so many memories. There were still many gaps, but since Jack was involved in so much of his past, just the thought of him was able to trigger so much remembrance, not all of it good, the most recent of it painful, stinging with harsh words. 

 

All the Reaper could think was that Jack Morrison was not dead. Reaper was death in its purest form. Jack wasn't dead. Gabriel couldn't believe that. There would be no reason for Jesse to lie. It's not like the Reaper was a hindrance to McCree or whatever organization was working for.  There would be no gain for him, but why did the Reaper still doubt? It felt to him like Jack was still alive, although he knew that to be false. McCree had said so. Jack was dead. The Gabriel Reyes that lived inside the Reaper needed to accept that. 

 

For the first time since he died, tears rolled down Gabriel’s cheeks. He was making ugly sobbing sounds in an alley not visible to the main roads, and could probably be heard by every passerby, yet no one bothered him.  _ You're an idiot, _ he thought.  _ You're dead. You don't feel things, you're dead. Stop crying. You loved him, that's the past. We are this, now.  _ Gabriel Reyes had loved Jack Morrison, and obviously never stopped. He slumped down against the cool brick wall, the change in temperature soaking the Reaper’s armor. 

 

He would waste no time. He knew what he had to do next, he had to go to Zurich. He had to check all the records for any mention of Jack Morrison. Gabriel Reyes had to find Jack Morrison. Even if he was dead, Gabriel had to find some closure. If Jack Morrison’s life was over, the guilt for letting their relationship end in a fight would eat Gabriel until he died. He still hated Jack, the asshole had never listened to him, and he didn’t understand why. Jack was always sweet, caring, and supportive when they were in private, but acted like Gabriel was dog shit when anyone else was around. That didn’t mean Gabriel didn’t love him anymore. He still did, he still had to save him. For the first time since his death, Reyes had a mission unmotivated by revenge, guilt, or Talon. It was motivated by Gabriel’s compassion towards Jack.

 

He had to know if Jack was dead.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel seemed to have forgotten one thing about the Zurich headquarters, which was the fact that they were blown to pieces by the explosion. The only thing left was rubble, and an occasional pillar or foundation of a building. No paper records, and definitely no working computers. If he had half a mind, he would’ve shadow stepped off of the site at the first glimpse of the smoky lot, but, as always, Gabriel could only act with his emotions rather than his logic. Heavy boots cracked feeble, beaten concrete as he walked in search of answers. He saw no signs of life, no signs that the site had even been disturbed in the years since the explosion. There was nothing there. He walked towards the woods, needing an escape, and too tired from the recent encounter with Jesse to pass through the void. 

 

“Stop right there,” he heard a decisive, frail, yet strong voice say. He turned around, trying to make sense of who it could be. He saw no one. He drew two shotguns out of his coat, ready to fire. 

 

“Turn around slowly.” He did, listening to what this person was telling him. He forced his face to become human again, as he didn’t know who this was, and he didn’t want to spook them too much.

 

“Gabriel?”

 

* * *

 

Gabe knew this voice, he knew this face, he thought it belonged to someone long dead, but as Ana Amari stood in front of him, he knew he must have been misinformed. She looked the same as she did when she was younger, save for the wrinkles on her face and the white braid running down her back. She still looked like she could kick a million asses while holding a cup of tea. Gabriel had been slightly intimidated by her in the past -- she exuded confidence naturally. Now was no different, although part of his fear could be about the possibilities of her reactions.

 

“Ana?” He dropped his shotguns, unconciously running towards her and picking her up in a hug. He wasn’t thinking about what he was doing, he was just overjoyed to see one of his closest friends.

 

“Ouch, put me down.”

 

“You’re alive?”

 

“I never died. I thought you all knew. The New Watch isn't oblivious to my presence.”

 

“I haven’t taken part in that yet,” Gabriel said, as if there was ever any hope of him not being considered a saboteur. He was an enemy to Overwatch, in charge of taking out the former agents. Why Ana seemed to trust that he wouldn’t put a round through her head was beyond him, it was legitimately his job.

 

“What happened to you? You died.”

 

“So did you.”

 

“I only pretended to die.”

 

“Maybe I did too.”

 

“You're a wraith.”

 

“So I've noticed.”

 

“Gabriel, for God’s sake, just give me an answer.”

 

“Mercy. She tried to save me. She failed. I died. She brought me back to life, but she did it wrong. Gave me to whoever could put me back together. That happened to be Talon. They condensed me, then brainwashed me to do their bidding. I broke it somehow. Here I am.”

 

“Wow. You must've had an interesting few years.”

 

“Believe me, I have.” That was a lie. He really didn't know. 

 

“Why are you here, anyways? Doesn't this place bring back bad memories?”

 

“About the explosion, yea. Everything else was pretty great. We did a lot of good here.” He looked at the rubble fondly. “Sad it’s gone.”

 

“You didn't answer my other question. Why are you here?”

 

“Because I'm sentimental.”

 

“Gabriel, that's not a good answer. I know it's something different.”

 

“You'll think I'm crazy.”

 

Ana sighed. “I won't think you're any crazier than I do now.”

 

“Fine. I'm looking for Jack.”

 

“Morrison?” Gabriel nodded, smoke coming off of him in plumes. “Why are you looking for him?”

 

“Ana, please don't make me answer that question. You know the answer.”

 

“So you can ‘kill him proper’?”

 

“That wasn't me.”

 

“It was you. You said that. To Jack. I was there.”

 

“Wait, I've seen Jack? Since the explosion?” 

 

Ana rolled her eyes. “Yes. You've tried to kill him multiple times.”

 

“Would I do that, Amari?”

 

“Remember the explosion? That was you, right?”

 

The smoke coming off of the Reaper condensed into threatening tendrils, and dispersed when Gabriel took back over. “It wasn't me. It was an accident.” 

 

“So you weren't mad at Jack?”

 

“No, I was fucking livid. The explosion was an accident.”

 

“But you did it?”

 

“It wasn't either of us. It was the powers above us. We figured out they were fucking with us and using our military power for personal gain, honestly, Overwatch should've been shut down after the crisis ended. So, there were bombs planted in Jack’s room, and of course, I was there. I heard ticking, I knew they were going to detonate, so I shielded him. I died. He didn't, I guess. It's what I wanted. I could've killed us both, if I hadn't shielded him. Thought I'd protect him, for once.” 

 

“Oh. Wow.” She didn't sound incredibly surprised. Jack and Gabe were both very self destructive - they would do anything to keep the other alive. Ana was just surprised that Gabe was able to stop Jack from shielding him. “So, if you're not looking for him to kill him, why are you looking for him?”

 

“Don't make me spell it out.”

 

“I'm going to make you spell it out.”

 

“I want - _ need  _ to apologize to him.”

 

“For trying to kill him.”

 

“That, and other shit.” Gabe sighed. “I made a lot of mistakes. Can you help me find him?”

 

“How can I trust you, Gabriel? For the longest time I thought you killed Jack, and other agents, then you come back as the  _ Reaper,  _ and try to kill him and I, now you beg for forgiveness?”

 

“I was fucking brainwashed when I  _ tried _ to kill you. I would've succeeded if I had actually wanted to.” Ana looked at Gabriel, who looked back dejectedly. “Fine. How can I prove it to you?” 

 

“Just tell me why you're actually looking for Jack. Gabriel Reyes would know the answer - even I know the answer. It was painfully obvious before the explosion.”

 

“Ana,” Gabriel stuttered, smoke wisping all around him, “I can't. I have to refuse to admit it until I know he's alive.”

 

“You know he's alive. You saw him. Plus, I want to hear you say it. You had never said it around anyone but him.” Her tone was teasing. “When you did, you always made the most stupid, dopey expression. Much nicer to look at than the edgy edgelord.” 

 

“Fine.” He took a deep breath and exhaled acrid, black smoke. “I haven’t stopped loving him, and I doubt I ever will. Hope you're happy now.” Tears threatened to pool in his eyes, because yes, he loved Jack, and yes, he remembered that. “Look, Ana. Do you know how it feels to be in love and have it fade away? Do you know how it feels to be in love and think for years that you were hurting them? Or even better, think you  _ killed  _ them? I'd be fucking surprised if he was even willing to talk me.”

 

Ana embraced her old friend. “Stop crying. Let's go find him. I might have an idea.” 

 

Gabriel cracked a smile. “You’re such an asshole, but still, thank you for believing me.”

 

“Thank you for ugly crying.” 

 

“I hate you.”

 

“That’s the Gabriel I know!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of just wanted to post this. This chapter is short and kind of bad, but the next one is one of my faves. Have a good day!


	3. Chapter 3 // Stupid for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The holy grail of flashback chapters. Also, we learn some interesting things about Jack and his past.

“We have to go to Gibraltar?” Gabriel asked, taking a seat on the plane next to Ana. He was able to control his human-passing form the more he worked on it.

 

“When I saw him last, he said his clues would be there. He has to be careful - he's being hunted.”

 

“Aren't we all?”

 

“I'm not.”

 

Gabe chuckled. “If you're with me, you are.”

 

“Who's hunting you?” Ana asked concernedly.

 

“Motherfucking Talon. I escaped from them, and they want me back. I'm their favorite science project.”

 

“Fun time there. Thanks for dragging me along.”

 

“Anytime.” Gabe looked out the window at the runway, and heard Ana yawn. “Try and get some sleep. I'll keep watch.”

 

“Don't you need sleep?”

 

“I don't sleep.”

 

“That's unfortunate.”

 

“Sleep, Amari. I'll wake you up when we land.”

 

Gabe did exactly what he said he would - he kept watch. He stayed alert, focusing on his human appearance and forming suspicion about anyone that walked by.

 

He had nothing to do, so he thought of Jack, and his favorite memories. He thought of the first time they took leave to go see the Morrison family.

 

_“Thanks for inviting me to meet your family, Jackie,” Gabe said as they boarded the commercial airline. The military had given them two weeks’ leave - they were leaving the base in California, going to Indiana to see Jack’s family, and flying back to catch the Reyes family before they had to be back._

 

_“Anytime, Gabe. They're excited to meet you.” They sat down, Gabe letting Jack take the window seat of the two person row. “You're not nervous, are you?”_

 

_“I'm not nervous,” Jack looked more at ease. “I'm fucking terrified. What if they don't like me? I need them to like me.”_

 

_“Why is it so important that they like you? You're my friend, not theirs, so why does it matter?”_

 

_‘Because I might eventually want to ask your mom for her permission to marry you,’ Gabriel wanted to say, but didn't. He was certifiably in love with Jack, but the blond didn't know._

 

_“Jack, I just need them to like me. I don't want them to think that I'm a bad person--” Jack cut in with a subtle “you're not a bad person,” “-- they don't know that. I need them to approve of me.”_

 

_“Hmph. They will. You’re a great guy, Gabe.”_

 

_Jack faked sleep for the rest of the flight. Gabe could tell he wasn't sleeping. They were roommates - he listened to Jack fall asleep whenever they weren't deployed, making sure his friend didn't stay up all night, memorizing his breathing patterns._

 

_Their plan was to take the Greyhound from Indianapolis to Bloomington, but Jack’s mother had brought his car to the airport._

 

_“I haven't seen my car since I left for the military. I loved that thing.” Jack’s eyes lit up. “Had a lot of memories in that thing.”_

 

_Gabe knew exactly what that meant, knowing a lot about Jack’s history, yet still looked at him like he hung the stars. He thought his best friend was more beautiful than anything or anyone else in the world when he was happy, looking back on his memories, longing. He got a glint in his eyes that made Gabe weak._

 

_“Gabe? You okay? You're staring.”_

 

_“Yeah, man, I'm fine. Just exhausted.”_

 

The Reaper came back to himself. He was on a plane. This wasn't the SEP. He was dead. Jack might not be. He could make this right.

 

Gabriel Reyes didn't want to leave the past - it held such better times. He was with the people he loved, and wasn't considered a criminal. He was saving lives. Now all he seemed to do was take. Maybe his memories were a better place to be.

 

_“So, what's this town called?” Gabe inquired._

 

_“Bloomington,” came Jack’s bored response. “I like to call it shithole, though.” He was angry. Gabe could tell. The way he pursed his lips after every sentence, and the stress of his eyebrows indicated such._

 

_“Why are you so pissy, man? Did I do something?”_

 

_“You didn't do anything, Gabe. I'm just tired.” Gabe didn't look pleased with the answer. “Okay fine. It's my parents. Just not the most excited to see them.”_

 

_“Then why are you here? Why did you invite me?”_

 

_“I had to go at some point, and I'd rather be here with you, than with anyone else or alone.”_

 

_“Jack, pull over.” He did, groaning. “You can talk to me. You can tell me anything.” Gabriel placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey. Look at me.” His fingertips brushed Jack’s chin to force eye contact. What he found were tears pooling, getting ready to trace over the already wet lines of the previous ones. “Jack...”_

 

_“Just--,” he interrupted himself with a small, stifled sob. “Just don't, Gabe. You won't get it.”_

 

_“You're right. I won't.” Jack looked up. “But I can listen, and I can hug you, and tell you everything will be okay, because it will.”_

 

_They stayed silent for a while, making awkward eye contact until it was too much, and Gabe looked away. After a few more seconds of nothing, Jack unbuckled his seatbelt and surged forward, taking Gabriel by surprise into his arms. The other man was quick to reciprocate._

 

_“Thank you, Gabi.”_

 

_“Anytime, Jackie boy.”_

 

_“You're so weird.”_

 

_“I know.”_

 

_“I'm soaking your shirt.”_

 

_“I know. That's fine.”_

 

_“I love you.”_

 

_“I know, I love you, too.”_

 

_“You're my best friend. I love you, man.”_

 

_“Love you too, Jackie.” Gabriel was blushing, hopefully Jack couldn't see through the dark. He knew that Jack didn't love him in a romantic way, Jack was as straight as anyone could be. Gabe could only hope. He loved him just the same. “How about instead of going to your place right now, you take me to your favorite place.”_

 

_“Favorite place?”_

 

_“Where'd you like to go to get away when you lived here? Take me there. We can just look at the stars. We can do whatever you want.”_

 

_Jack detached himself from Gabe and looked in his eyes._

 

_“Thank you. I can't explain how much this means to me. How much you mean to me.” Jack’s eyes drifted to Gabe’s lips and back. “There's this park, just a bit up the road, near Unionville. Ok, it's actually a forest, but whatever.” Jack was sounding extremely happy, which pleased Gabriel. He loved seeing Jack happy. Jack detached himself from his best friend and slid back into the driver’s seat. He buckled his seatbelt, keyed the ignition, and the lights came on, shining on Jack’s red face. As they drove down the road, Gabriel placed his hand on top of Jack’s free one. The blond flipped his and twined their fingers. He made a sharp right turn, and the view of only fields slowly faded away. Gabe closed his eyes._

 

_When he woke up, they were in a dark, wooded area. He was still in the car, while Jack was gone._

 

_“Up here, Gabi!” Jack whisper-shouted. Gabe looked up, and saw the blond up in one of the shorter trees, waving. “Come up!”_

 

_Gabe climbed up, grabbing Jack’s extended hand._

 

_“I feel like a kid again, being here. My dad always brought me here when my mom was drunk. Probably saved me from getting my ass beat a few times. Didn't come back here until I got my license, but then I was here everyday.”_

 

_“Why didn't he take you anymore?”_

 

_“I meant to tell you this, but the time never came. Car crash. My mom was drunk, she was driving. Ran off a guardrail. He died. She was fine.”_

 

_“Oh my god, Jack I'm so so--”_

 

_“Don't say you're sorry. I don't want pity. It happened a long time ago. I can handle it now.”_

 

_“Okay. My bad.”_

 

_“It's fine.” The two shared an awkward silence. “I've never heard anything about your family.”_

 

_“My family is... small.”_

 

_“Gonna have to be more descriptive than that. But, if you don't want to share, you don't have to.”_

 

_“Nah, man, I want to tell you everything.”_

 

_Jack smiled. “I'm all ears.”_

 

_“Well, I wasn't really wanted. My mom’s boyfriend didn't think that it was important to use protection, but in simpler terms, he was a dick. He left after I was born. Mom’s parents kicked her out when they found out. She worked as much as she could when I was a kid, but she didn't want to give me up. So she didn't. We scraped by, we had an apartment in L.A. It was rough, but we didn't ask for any help. When I was about 11, my mom started dating this girl -- she fell in love. Neither could afford a wedding at the time. They were still scraping by, even living together they didn't have enough. That's why I went away to the army. She wouldn't have to pay for my food, and the money I made would go back to her. A few years ago, though, she got a promotion in her job. My mom has always been the smartest person I know, and she works harder than anyone. Last letter she sent me, she told me that she and Lina had moved into an actual house. Said that they're doing great. Pretty sure they got a dog. Never thought that would happen.  There were some days when I was younger that we couldn't afford food, because we knew that we'd have to pay for my mom’s college eventually, it was the only way to get out of the cycle. She worked day and night at that, learning to program and design websites, because the market was still growing. She's the executive designer at -- shit, forgot what the company’s called. Either way, goddamn. She made it.”_

 

_“Wow.”_

 

_“What’s that supposed to mean?”_

 

_“Just,” Jack sighed, “you’re amazing. You’ve been fighting your entire life, man.”_

 

_“That’s what not having shit does to you, Jack. I don’t expect you to get it.”_

 

_“I don't understand. You shouldn't expect me to. I haven't lived through that. I'm sorry that you had to live through that, Gabe, but it shaped you into the most amazing person I know. You don't fucking give up. You say that things are shit, yet you still push through them. When the situation seems dire, you fucking tell people, and then you lead them through the storm. You're strong, you ass. I didn't know why. That's what it meant. It meant that I think you’re strong.”_

 

_Gabe smiled. “Honestly, didn't think you had it in you.”_

 

_Jack gave a remorseful glare. “Had what in me?”_

 

_“The ability to stand up to me. I don't care that you made that comment. I was just trying to provoke you, just to see what you'd do.”_

 

_“Did I pass your test, then?”_

 

_“Nope, you didn't tell me I was pretty.” Gabe chuckled, and as the moon lightened, Jack completely lost it, laughing harder than he had in a long time._

 

_“If it's any consolation, Gabe, I think you're,” Jack broke his sentence with a laugh, and lowered his voice, “really pretty.”_

 

_“You're just saying that.”_

 

_“I mean I literally did just say that, so.....”_

 

_“God you're an ass. Come here.”_

 

_They awkwardly shuffled in the tree until Jack was partially Gabe’s lap, leaning on his shoulder. It was a bit cold, but Jack was a human space heater, so neither complained. At some point, Jack moved his hand to Gabe’s and nudged it. Gabe got the message and slotted their fingers together. This was just normal bro stuff, right?_

 

_“You never really told me about your family.”_

 

_Jack sighed. “Not much to tell. I was adopted at 2. Dad died when I was 14, enter asshole stepdad. Asshole stepdad caused alcohol abuse prone mother to return to her habits. Asshole stepdad fuckin hated me - but he never hit me until I was 17, and I tried to come out. He was really damn homophobic. After that, he hit me a bit, until I started fake dating this girl. She was a lesbian and had a homophobic family situation, too. By pretending I was straight, he stopped hitting me. He called my bisexuality a phase. It wasn't. We got into a big fight about it, and he kicked me out. Then my mom told him some other shit about me, and he came to where I was staying and, I swear he almost killed me. From then I lived with my boyfriend, who was a real dick, until I graduated, then shipped out. That's it.”_

 

_“What other stuff?”_

 

_“Stuff I haven’t told anyone. Stuff you might already know, from that one week in basic. If you figured it out. If not, it’s whatever.”_

 

_“I didn’t figure it out. But I do remember that week. You were so pale, man I don’t think you moved from your bed until they dragged you to the med bay. Then, didn’t they have to take you to an actual hospital? I couldn’t come with you, because I was in charge, and those little shits couldn’t handle themselves, but I snuck out one night to check on you. You had had surgery. Is that right?”_

 

_“Yeah, spot on. Kind of weird you haven’t figured out what happened, yet.”_

 

_“You haven't told me...”_

 

_“For a reason. I don't want you to judge me.”_

 

_“I'm not that much of an asshole.”_

 

_“I know that, Gabe.” Jack sighed. “You'd think differently of me.”_

 

_“Why would I do that?”_

 

_“Because it's not something that you've been through, it's not something most people have been through, you just wouldn't understand. You'd think differently of me, and I don't want to lose you.”_

 

_Gabriel stared into Jack’s eyes. “You'll never lose me.”_

 

_“Gabi,” Jack took a deep breath and looked down at the ground from their tree branch, “I’m transgender. I wasn't born a dude.”_

 

_Gabriel let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. “Oh, thank God. I was expecting you to say something like ‘I’m secretly a robot’. Why the hell do you think I'd care if you're trans? You're still a great guy, Morrison. Doesn't matter what you were born as, and I don't give a damn about what's in your pants. You're still a great guy. Does me calling you Jackie make you uncomfortable? Because if it does, I'll stop.”_

 

_“Uh, no, it doesn't make me uncomfortable. You're taking this all very calmly.”_

 

_“Like I said, you're still a great guy, and you're still my best friend. This doesn't change how I think about you, all it changes is how much I know about you. Plus, one of my sisters is trans. I'd never be a dick about who you are. Thank you for telling me.”_

 

_“Uh, thanks, Gabe. I've never really said it that blatantly before without a bad reaction.”_

 

_“Speaking of bad reactions, your step dad almost murdered you when he found out about this, that's what you said, right?”_

 

_“Yeah, I had to go to the hospital. He broke two ribs, and punctured a lung. It was a wild fucking ride."_

 

_“Is he still with your mom?”_

 

_“Yeah...?”_

 

_“Take me there right now. He's gonna see how it fuckin feels to get beat the fuck up by a gay guy with a trans sister.” Gabriel cracked his knuckles. “I know you’re going to say that I’m being too violent, but I don’t give a fuck. People like that deserve to be put in their place. I don't like it when people hurt others because of who they are. I especially don't like it when people hurt you.”_

 

_“No. Don't touch him.”_

 

_“Why the fuck not? You hate him, don't you?”_

 

_“Yeah, of course, but I've already decked him a few times.”_

 

_“He's probably decked you a few hundred. We should make it even.”_

 

_“Gabe. No.”_

 

_“Gabe, yes.”_

 

_Jack raised his voice. “Gabriel. No.” His tone was commanding, loud, and paralyzing. “Don't touch him. That'll make things worse.”_

 

_“I know you'd do the same for me, man.”_

 

_“You're right. I would fuck up anyone that's ever hurt you, even though you don't need it. I don't need you to avenge me. If I did, you'd know it. Please, just respect that. It's not your place.”_

 

_Gabe sighed. “Okay. I won't touch him. Unless I see him hit you. Then I'll know he hasn't changed. Then it's going the fuck down.”_

 

_“That works.”_

 

_They sat in the tree, just sharing body heat and contact, for what could've been hours._

 

_“Do you want to go to my place early? We could get an earlier flight to L.A., instead of spending a week here.”_

 

_“I would definitely rather do that.”_

 

_“Let's head back to your place then, I'll book us some tickets for Wednesday.”_

 

_They detached themselves from each other, and climbed down the tree. Jack started the car, and before long, they were pulling out onto the desolate Indiana road, speeding 70 miles an hour towards Bloomington._

 

Gabriel smiled to himself. That was one of his favorite memories of that trip. His favorite happened in L.A., with the help of his mother.

 

_“You love him, don't you,” Gabe’s mom smugly said to her son. “It's so obvious that you do, I think you just need to admit it to yourself.”_

 

_“I already have, mamá. I love him, everyone knows it, except for him. He doesn't even like me, he just sees me as a friend.”_

 

_“Pinche idiota, have you even seen how he looks at you?”_

 

_“No, how does he look at me?”_

 

_“Like you hung the moon and stars. He looks at you the way I look at Lina.”_

 

_“Do you think he loves me?”_

 

_“It'd be stupid to think he doesn't.”_

 

_“Should I ask him out?”_

 

_“Is that the Reyes way, chico?”_

 

 _“I am_ _not_ _seducing him.”_

 

_“Not saying you should. Take him on a date, but don't ask him beforehand.”_

 

_“Is that how you started dating Lina?”_

 

_“No, that was pure seduction. I've still got it. I don't know if you could pull it off. A surprise date is still a good idea, though. He seems pretty spontaneous, he’d probably like it.”_

 

_“Is Carla’s still in business?”_

 

_“Are you going to do what I think you are going to do?”_

 

_“Depends on what you're thinking I'm going to do.”_

 

_Gabe, with the help of his mom, rented out the small event room at Carla’s southwestern diner. He came the night before to make the room exactly as he wanted it - flowers, everywhere, one center table lit by a candle._

 

_“So, where exactly are we going again?” Jack asked. He asked as many questions as a four year old on a road trip._

 

_“It's called Carla's. It's got good food, and Carla’s a friend of Lina’s. Stop worrying so much.”_

 

_“Is it good? What kind of food do they have? How much does it--”_

 

_“Jack, if I didn't think you would like it, I wouldn't take you in the first place. So shut up and let me handle it, okay?” Gabe took his right hand off the steering wheel and placed it over Jack’s idle one resting on the console. “Relax, ba- bud. Chill out and let me handle things for once.”_

 

_“Fine, I'll try and chill out,” the blond said defeatedly. “At least let me pay?”_

 

_“No, asshole,” Gabe gave Jack’s hand a squeeze, “I'm taking you out, I'm paying.”_

 

_“Taking me out?”_

 

_“Two dudes can go out for food at a nice restaurant together, just being bros.”_

 

_“I think everything we do is pushing just being bros.”_

 

_“Do you want to be more than bros?”_

 

_“I don't know how to answer that question.”_

 

_Gabe sighed. “Honestly.”_

 

_“Yes, I want to be more than friends.” Jack jerked his hand away. “You probably don't want that, so I won't push it.”_

 

_Gabe laughed. “Jackie, I've liked you since the first time we talked. I've wanted to date you for years, man.”_

 

_“You're fucking with me.”_

 

_“I'm not.”_

 

_“Gabe, we could've been dating for years now, if one of us had just said something. I've liked you since day one.”_

 

_“Can we call this a date, then?”_

 

_“Hmm.... yeah. I think so. Did you really try to surprise me with a date?”_

 

_“Bad plan?”_

 

_“Perfect plan.” Gabriel’s mother was a damn genius._

 

_A couple minutes later, they pulled into Carla's southwestern diner. Gabe glared at Jack and told him to stay in the car. The former got out speedily, running around the back of the car, opened the passenger side door, and offered a hand._

 

_“Aww, Gabi, you're such a gentleman.”_

 

_“I'm trying my best to romance you.”_

 

_“It's working.” Gabe blushed at that. “Aww, you're adorable.” The blush on the dark haired man’s face worsened, along with his annoyed glare. “Honestly, how the fuck are you so cute. It's not fair.”_

 

_“You're one to talk,” Gabriel grumbled._

 

_“Excuse me?”_

 

_“If anyone here is cute, it's you.”_

 

_“Aww, come here blushy boy.”_

 

_“What the actual hell, Morrison.”_

 

_“No, seriously, come here. I want to hug you.” Gabriel complied. He strode closer to Jack, who wrapped his arms around his friend’s shoulders. Burying his face in Jack’s shoulder, Gabe felt some of the stress of having a first date disappeared. “Thank you for bringing me here.”_

 

_“Mmph,” was Gabriel's neck-distorted reply. “Let's go in.” It was barely audible to Jack, but he somehow understood. Jack kissed the top of Gabe’s head, who detached himself. “Don't do that here.”_

 

_“Why not?”_

 

_“Because I won't want to stop kissing you if I start.”_

 

_“Damn, Gabo.”_

 

_“Let's go, oró.”_

 

_They walked into the restaurant. Gabriel made eye contact with Carla, who nodded at the back room with a smile on her lips. Gabe led Jack to the closed room, hands intertwined. Gabe’s free hand pushed open the wooden door, tugging his best friend along behind him._

 

_Once the door swooshed shut behind them, Jack pinned Gabriel to the wall opposite._

 

_“Is anyone going to come in here in the next two minutes?”_

 

_“No?” Gabe asked, a bit timidly._

 

_“Chill, Gabi. I just want to kiss you, if that's okay.” Gabe didn't have to be told twice. He grabbed Jack’s face, pulling him in. He didn't do very well, as their noses bumped. They both laughed. “Gabe, am I going to be the first person you've kissed?”_

 

_“What? No..”_

 

_“No lies, Gabo.”_

 

_“Fine. You'll be the first person I've kissed, if you ever get on with it.” Jack leaned in, but Gabe wasn't done talking. “Not that you're much more experienced.”_

 

_“How have you had sex without kissing? I know you're not a virgin, you told me that, and honestly man, I was kind of a hoe in high school. I dated probably half of the girls and all of the guys in my class.”_

 

_“The guy I was with just wanted sex, and he said no kissing, so I didn't kiss him. Easy enough.”_

 

_“Hmph.” Jack leaned in again, this time, catching Gabe’s lips. When Gabe didn't reciprocate, he broke away._

 

_“Is everything okay?”_

 

_“I don't know how to do this.”_

 

_“You just kind of... do it. I don't fucking know.”_

 

_“Real informative.”_

 

_“Just try to do what I do.”_

 

_Jack quickly closed the space between them, and this time Gabe met him in the middle. Jack let his hand drift to Gabe’s hip, squeezing a bit. The older man made a small noise into Jack’s mouth, which made the blond smile into the kiss. Gabe took that as an opportunity to nibble on Jack’s lower lip. At that point, they both broke away._

 

_“Too much?” Gabriel asked abashedly._

 

_“I mean, for a restaurant, yeah, somewhere else, probably not.”_

 

_“Food now?”_

 

_“Sure.”_

 

_Jack made Gabriel order first, and they both ended up ordering chicken fried steak. They ate in relative silence, due to the fact that they had forgotten to eat lunch while sightseeing._

 

_Jack had finished, and was waiting for Gabe. “Did you ever think we'd date?”_

 

_Gabriel swallowed his bite. “I thought you were straight as fuck. It is a nice surprise, though.” He took a sip of water. “Did you ever think we'd date?”_

 

_“I mean, I knew you were gay, but I never thought you'd be into me.”_

 

_“Well, you're in luck, sunshine. I happen to be pretty damn into you.” Gabriel was leaning in, chin resting on his hand as they were both blushing profusely, Jack’s being more prominent._

 

_The two got back into Gabriel’s car, and the next place they went was the beach. It was a private stretch (that was technically illegal for them to be on), but Gabriel knew the owner was a complete pushover, and he was out of town. Just in case, Gabe had the number of the owner’s son, who was one of his best friends in high school._

 

_“Gabe, the water’s perfect for swimming right now. Come in!” Jack shouted from the edge of the shore. Gabriel called back a quick ‘okay’, and took his shirt off. He looked back at Jack, who was already down to his underwear, feet in the water. “Stop staring, man. Nothing you haven't seen before.” That was true, they had communal showers. Gabe chuckled and looked away, taking off the rest of his clothes, leaving underwear._

 

_“I know you're staring, oro. Stop it.”_

 

_“I am not! That is an assumption!”_

 

_“You know what happens when we assume.”_

 

_“Yeah, you get your ass over here to me.”_

 

_“Whatever, close enough.” Gabe left his discarded clothes and ran down to the shore. Instead of majestically leaping into Jack’s arms, he tripped on a rock, sending him skidding face-first into the sand. He rolled over onto his back, laughing._

 

_“Oh my god, Gabe,” Jack laughed, “you are an idiot. Are you okay?”_

 

_Gabriel got up and spit out a mouthful of sand. “Yeah, I'm fine.”_

 

_“Actually come here, then.”_

 

_Gabriel tried again, walking this time. When he reached Jack, the blond caressed the shorter man’s face, brushing off the grains of sand from his fall. When Jack’s thumb brushed his lips, Gabriel couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Jack by the back of his neck, and smashed their lips together. Jack made a confused noise into the kiss, but then relinquished and melted into it. It was grainy from his fall, and tasted like food and sand. His tongue swiped over Gabe’s lips, jolting his friend’s eyes open. Jack felt the hesitance, so he broke away._

 

_“What's wrong, babe? Gabe. I said Gabe.”_

 

_“I know you didn't say Gabe, and that’s fine.”_

 

_“Okay, but what's wrong?”_

 

_“Was I supposed to open my mouth there?” Jack broke into a grin, beaming at how innocent his friend was. He reconsidered, though, remembering that Gabriel had most definitely killed a man before. Probably. Gabriel Reyes was an innocent badass._

 

_“Whatever feels right.” Gabe smiled. “Do you want to swim?”_

 

_Gabe laughed. “What I want to do is kiss you, but I'm not very good at it, so swimming might be a better option.”_

 

_“I think you're good at it, but I might be biased.” Jack looked at Gabe, who had buried his head into his friend’s shoulder. “Awww, you're blushing! God, you're cute.”_

 

_Gabriel playfully pushed Jack, who stumbled. As he fell, he grabbed Gabe’s arm, pulling them both down into the salty water. They tumbled down, Gabriel landing on Jack’s chest, whose laughter sendt vibrations into his cheek. As their eyes met, Gabriel Reyes knew he was 110% utterly and completely fucked by his love for this man._

 

As he came back to reality, he noticed a pounding pain in his head. He always seemed to notice this after memories came back. Mind screaming, he forced himself to concentrate to make sure he was still in a human form. He looked at the screen on the back of the seat in front of him, and selected the map function. The plane icon showed that they were nine-tenths of the way to the closest airport to Gibraltar. How he spent that long daydreaming, he could not comprehend. Maybe he fell asleep, although he claimed he couldn’t sleep. Either way, now was a good time to wake Ana, who was still asleep next to him. He tapped her shoulder lightly. She didn't budge. He shook her shoulder. She didn't move.

 

She did speak, saying a tired “fuck off, you little shit. I'm old.”

 

“Ana, we're almost there.”

 

“Fine.” She opened her eyes. “Two hours was not a long enough nap.”

 

“Did you at least sleep well?”

 

“Yes, just not long enough. When we get there, I'll need to stop and get some food. I did not eat, and I need to fill the void of exhaustion with food.”

 

That is how the Reaper, one of the most wanted people in the world, ended up at a Wendy's.

 

After Ana ate very slowly, they bought tickets and boarded city transportation to get to Watchpoint: Gibraltar. Since no one was allowed into the base, Gabe stopped looking normal to shadowstep them both in. Since the base was not active, all the security was down, yet both Ana and Gabriel took specific care to avoid all cameras.

 

Gabriel had a pounding headache most of the time through the base, due to the memories it brought up. If Ana noticed, she said nothing. She had her own memories to occupy her headspace. He had grown used to the pain. Even when memories were not resurfacing, he still noticed it, maybe lesser than when he was in a situation that he had to draw on the past for. He still let himself slip through time.

 

_Gabriel didn't like Blackwatch. It forced him to do many bad things. He thought he'd bring it up to Jack when he got back from his most recent mission, one to infiltrate the early reaches of Talon. They had succeeded with only one casualty (on Gabriel himself), but he was still upset at the things they were forced to do. Blackwatch didn't hurt anyone on this particular mission, but they had to fuck with people's minds and tear apart friends, lovers, and families._

 

_Gabriel disembarked the carrier that they were transported back from Russia in, ignoring the pain in his wounded arm that sparked up when he grabbed his lighter duffel to sling onto his shoulder._

_He held his head high - the mission was successful. He let no indication of pain show on his face. He was genetically enhanced - he would be fine. Plus, Jack would fret if he saw Gabe in pain. He worried way too much._

 

_As Gabriel entered the building, Athena made her signature chime, and spoke._

 

_“Strike-Commander Morrison has requested to see you in his office as soon as possible.”_

 

_“Okay, thanks Athena.” Gabriel continued ambling towards the residential wing. If Jack had requested his audience, that means something was up. Jack didn't have time for audience with anyone anymore, not even his boyfriend._

 

_“By as soon as possible, he means right now.”_

 

_Gabe stopped, and sighed. “Fine. I'll go now.”_

 

_“I would suggest that you enter without hostility. Commander Morrison is enraged by your antics already.”_

 

_“What antics?”_

 

_“Getting yourself hurt.”_

 

_“What? I'm not hurt?”_

 

_“Tell that to him, not me. Report to him now.”_

 

_“No need to be sassy, Athena.”_

 

_The disembodied, sassy robot voice was probably the highlight of most soldiers’ days. The problem was they she knew almost everything. She knew about Gabe and Jack, and their fights. She had to come over the speakers to stop them a few times, before it got too intense. This scared him, because of course, Gabe loved Jack, but things had been bad between them as of late. Jack wouldn't listen to Gabriel, and never made time for him. Gabe didn't even remember the last time they did something, just the two of them. Athena probably knew, but it had been so long that he would be embarrassed to hear the answer._

 

_He didn't bother to knock, and just opened the door. He surveyed the office. He saw a distraught desk, Jack’s long, blue coat in a heap on the floor, Jack in a heap next to the couch._

 

_“Hey, Jackie, you okay?” Although things were bad between them, Gabe still cared. Gabe still loved him._

 

_“Gabe?”_

 

_“Yeah, babe, I'm here, what happened?”_

 

_“Thank fuck you're okay.” Jack got up and practically sprinted to Gabriel, and embraced him tightly. “Thank fuck you're here.”_

 

_“What happened?” They detached, except for one of Gabe’s hands on Jack’s hip. “Talk to me, cariño.”_

 

_“Did you get hurt?”_

 

_“Not badly.”_

 

_“Show me.”_

 

_“It's my arm and my stomach. I can go to the med bay.”_

 

_“Gabriel. Nothing I haven't seen before. Show me, or I'm just going to keep worrying until you do, and I know I can be a real ass.”_

 

_“You are being an ass.”_

 

_“I know. On purpose. Shirt off, now.” Gabriel complied, using a light hand to unstick his shirt from his abdomen where the dried blood resode. His arm didn't want to move to get his shirt over his head, and he thought that ripping it might be a better option. He managed without mutilation of the fabric. “It's worse than you said it was. It's worse than anyone else on your team said it was. Gabe, you have to stop trying to protect everyone. Tell them if you're in pain. They can handle it.”_

 

_“Jack, it’s really not bad.”_

 

_Jack raised his eyebrows, almost raising his voice, but didn't, mainly for the sake of Gabriel - he had only a vague idea of his boyfriend’s emotional state. “It could've been worse.” Jack’s eyes fell to the floor, staring at their shoes, pressed toe to toe. “Nobody's going to be able to save you if you don't call for help, and no one can read you like I do. You have to let someone know if something goes wrong, Gabe. Take Jesse, for example. Kid fucks up bad all the time. He always tells you. He's not embarrassed, because it happens. It happens to the best, it happens to the worst. I don't think you would let someone know you were hurt if you had a bullet in your head.” The blond’s hands settled on Gabriel’s hips. They locked eyes again. “Blackwatch needs you. I need you. I can't lose you. I love you, and I know things have been shitty between us, but I figured it out. You weren't being paranoid. You were right. I just don't know what to do, now. This shit has been laying under my nose for years now, and I don't know what to do. Gabe, I'm sorry. I'd beg for your forgiveness, but that's not something that I do. I don't even know if I forgive me --”_

 

_“Jack. Stop.”_

 

_“But I'm not done with my pity party.”_

 

_“Let me talk. For once, please, just let me talk.” Jack shut his mouth, and widened his eyes. “First, I love you too. You're not gonna lose me. Believe it or not, I'm smart, and have a knack for figuring things out.” Jack nodded, a small grin on his lips. “Second, I'm glad we're on the same page. I honestly don't know how to stop it when it's this far in motion, but I'm sure we can figure it out together.”_

 

_“Together.”_

 

_“Yeah. If that's okay.”_

 

_“Fuck - I thought you would want nothing to do with me, man. I fucked up really badly.”_

 

_“You're right. You did. You didn't listen to anything I had to say, and it turned out I was right. I know you, so I know you wouldn't do that on purpose. Did you ever take the issue to your superiors?”_

 

_Jack pursed his lips, in thought. “Yeah, once. Pretty sure they said something about my informant being paranoid, and you know me, always have to listen to the authority.”_

 

_“A good trait to have, but the authority is trying to fuck Overwatch up. I don't have a clue why, but we have to stop it.”_

 

_“I thought you didn't give a shit about Overwatch?”_

 

_“Honestly, I really don't. I just want to do what's right, and save the people that this would hurt.”_

 

_“And? I know you have something else to add to that sentence.”_

 

_“You're right, there is, but I'd rather have you court me today. I think I deserve it.”_

 

_“Hey, I had a shit day too, you know!”_

 

_“What'd you do today? Paperwork?”_

 

_“That, and,” Jack sighed, “They had the strike team sent out on a mission to hit one of the omniums in Canada.”_

 

_“I thought most of the team is on leave?”_

 

_“They are. It was me and two other soldiers.”_

 

_“Three of you to take down an entire omnium? Wow. Did you do it?”_

 

_“It was supposed to be inactive, you know, since the crisis is over? But yeah, it wasn’t. Somehow we took it down. Team got out unscathed. ”_

 

_“Let me guess, you didn't?”_

 

_“Why would you think that?”_

 

_Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Because you never take a bullet for anyone. You never care for the wellbeing of your team over yours.”_

 

_“Okay, sarcasm, I'm laughing in my mind.” Jack laughed at the playful glare he received. “Got a pretty nice one down here.” He lifted his shirt over his head, pulling it off to show his wound._

 

_“That looks like a claw mark.”_

 

_“Yeah, it was from a bot we'd never seen before. Either Omnica isn't actually shut down, or the bots are producing themselves.”_

 

_“Neither is good.” They shared a melancholy silence. “Oh, wait, I forgot to do this.”_

 

_Gabe leaned in, lightly placing his hand on the back of Jack’s neck, pulling him in closer. Jack’s hands that were resting on his hips laced around his waist. Their lips met with desperation and finality, a share of trust that neither was lying about the newly acquired intelligence._

 

_“I need you by my side, Gabi.” Jack had the biggest smile on his face. “I love you.”_

 

_“I love you too --”_

 

_“Let me finish. I don't know what I would do without you. Look, man, you mean the world to me. I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine. Forever. Always.”_

 

_“What are you trying to say?”_

 

_“Will you,” he got down on one knee and pulled a gold band out of his coat pocket, “fucking marry me?”_

 

_Gabriel laughed, nodding. “Only if you,”  he also sunk to a knee, reached into his hoodie and pulled out a black velvet box, and cracked it open, revealing the silver band inside, “fucking marry me.”_

 

_“Wait, I was proposing to you! You can’t just steal my proposal, Gabe.”_

 

_“I didn’t steal it, just added to it. I’ve been wanting to propose to you since the SEP.”_

 

_“Honestly, same.”_

 

_“Hey, I’ll marry you if you marry me.”_

 

_Jack beamed at him, tears pooling in his eyes. “I guess that seems like a pretty good deal, I think I’ll take it.” When Gabriel didn’t look pleased at his answer, he spoke again. “Yes, Gabe. I will marry you.”_

 

_“Then, yes, Jack, I will marry you.”_

 

_They exchanged rings, then hugged for what felt like hours, tears slipping down both of their faces even though neither would admit it. They hadn’t planned their proposals to be at the same time, but Jack thought it was the right time, and Gabe always kept Jack’s ring on his person, just in case the right time arose._

 

_“Jack,” Gabriel started, mumbling into his fiancé’s chest, “did you ever think that we'd end up like this?”_

 

_“Well, the shirtlessness and blood was a surprise. But yeah, ever since I met you, I always knew I wanted to marry you. Hoped you felt the same.”_

 

_“I’m so glad I found you.”_

 

“Stop smiling, Gabriel. I don't think I want to know what you're thinking about.”

 

“Only thinking about when I proposed to Jack.”

 

“Yeah, but we can only assume where that takes you afterwards.”

 

“Shut up, Ana.” He was blushing, gladly, behind his mask, because if Ana had seen he would never hear the end of it.

 

“Go look for clues. You check his room. And your room. Or did you share? I don't remember - I really didn't want to know what you two did in your spare time.”

 

“You're so mean to me.”

 

“Yes, I am. I'll check his office.”

 

He ghosted towards the residential wing, (being dead had really made him lazy), trying to remember which room was Jack’s. It wasn't coming to his mind, so he figured he'd head to his own old room first to see.

 

Gabriel remembered his room number - it stuck out in his mind like a sore thumb. It was #20. Ground level, like the rooms of the other high ranking officers. He checked the handle first, and when it didn't budge, he ghosted through. He'd always been good with keeping his doors locked.

 

He didn't know he could still smell, but the room had a distinct scent of cheap beer, vodka, sweat, cologne, and Jack. They must've stayed here together. He remembered a lot of... _things_ that had happened in this room. It was where Gabe found out his sister’s cancer was eradicated. It was where Jack found out he was to be promoted to strike commander. It was where the two went through their morning routines, bumping each other for the prime mirror space (which Jack always won, the reason why Gabe wore beanies, because he couldn't see himself to fix his hair), brushing their teeth, fighting over who got to use the bathroom first, and complaining about the other soaking the tile in the bathroom because they were “incompetent and in almost thirty years of life, still hadn't learned to use a shower curtain.”

 

Gabriel wasn't there to reminisce, he was there to look for clues on Jack’s whereabouts.

 

He started with the papers on his desk. It was absolutely covered. He sighed, and started rifling through, stopping to look at anything that might look important. It was all just old mission reports, evaluations, and press records, nothing that would lead to Jack’s whereabouts. Then he saw it.

 

The tiny device sat where it must not have been touched, even for months prior to the explosion. His cell phone. He moved the papers and books covering it, and took it off of the charger, hoping it would boot up, which it instantly did. He inputted his passcode, which he still used for everything, 0076. His number in the SEP. As the light shone from the screen, he saw a multitude of notifications, mainly from Jack and Jesse. He decided to read his texts from Jack first.

 

It started at the most recent, which were dated as a couple of weeks after the explosion.

 

 **Jack:** I’m alive. If you see this, come find me. I'm sorry.

 

Right before the explosion,

 

 **Jack:** Text me when you get to the base. Idk if Athena will notify me. Love you.

 

They obviously didn't text much, because the next ones back were 4 months before the explosion.

 

 **Jack:** Gabe I'm bored. Help.

 

 **Gabe:** Do your work then.

 

 **Jack:** Nah, there's something else I'd rather do ;).

 

 **Gabe:** Babe. I'm in a meeting. As much as I would love to have this conversation, I have to listen.

 

 **Jack:** ugh, fine, come see me when you get out. Love u.

 

 **Gabe:** Love you too. See u then ;)

 

Those were the only ones stored on the device, he must've deleted the others. The texts from Jesse were more mundane.

 

Right after the explosion, there were a few.

 

 **Jesse:** I heard what happened, are you okay?

 

 **Jesse:** Reyes, please don't be dead.

 

Like Jack’s, though, the rest were deleted. He closed the messages application, and went over to the phone function to look at voicemail. He decided to start as far back as he could. The earliest dated to two years before the explosion, and it was from Jack.

 

_Hey, Gabi, I know things have been a bit rough between us, but I really need to talk to you. Please call me back. Love you forever. Bye._

 

To a year and a half before,

 

_Gabe, I'm just wondering when you'll be back. If you have your phone with you when you're on transport, please call, or text, or something. Thanks, babe. Love you so much. Be safe out there._

  


Even just days before the explosion, Jack had called.

 

_Hey, Gabi, I think there's something wrong with these files I'm getting direct. You know more about this stuff than me, so whenever you get back, can you swing by my office to take a peek? We might be getting close to something here. Thanks, babe. I miss you, love you, stay safe._

 

To the day after.

 

_Gabe. If you're listening to this, somehow, you survived that. I have to hide. So do you. They'll be looking for us. I can't come out to find you. You're going to have to find me. Your number, the SEP one? That's how you'll find me. If you're alive, stay that way. I need you with me. This'll be the last I can use this phone. I don't want to be tracked. I assume yours is still at Gibraltar, and maybe you'll find it if you're looking. I'm headed to shelter now, but I'm going to try and find out what I can about that explosion, and take out Los Muertos. I can't stay down. If you're alive, please find me. I love you._

  


That last one shook Gabe to his core. Jack was alive, at least at that time. Well, Gabe had known Jack was alive, he apparently tried to kill him multiple times. He grabbed the phone and attempted to sprint out of the room, running into the door, before grunting and ghosting through. He ran through the halls, to the atrium area that seemed to lead everywhere, which would give him a better idea of where Ana was. He ran up and down the halls, which was tiring, but he didn’t care, because Jack was in his grasp. He would talk to Sombra, she was a part of Los Muertos.

 

Gabriel ran into Ana, sending them both to the floor.

 

“Reyes, I’m old. Don’t do that.”

 

“I’m sorry, I’m excited. I have a lead.”

 

“Where?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mainly because I'm super angsty, so I wanted to give the boys some rough pasts. They both overcame their situations, though, and ended up prospering, becoming the amazing characters we see in the game and lore. There may or may not be some projection going on here (cough cough I'm trans, too), but I honestly do HC Jack as trans. I can see it. If y'all don't, it really doesn't come up in this fic very much, but when I write the prequel, it definitely will. Hope y'all enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4 // Double Exposure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Ana team up with a couple of Gabriel's Talon friends.

“Lead's in Dorado. Couple years ago, he was hunting Los Muertos. He’s probably not in the same spot now, but it’s worth a shot, right? I know an ex-member of Los Muertos, I’ll get her to help us. She owes me. She’ll do it. We’ll find him, right? What if we--”

 

“You’re rambling. I’m glad you found that. We’ll contact your friend --”

 

Gabriel let out a huff of smoky air. “She’s not my friend.”

 

“Whatever. How do we know who to look for? He certainly won’t be going by his name anymore.”

 

“He said it had something to do with my SEP number, which was 76. You heard anything about 76 lately?”

 

“No, but we can look it up.” She pulled out her phone, clicking away one key at a time like an old person, as she typed in simply  _ 76 _ . 

 

The internet app crashed, shutting off her phone too.

 

“That’s probably not good,” she said, concerned. “Call your friend. Try and make her come alone. I wouldn’t trust a friend of yours.”

 

“You’re a friend of mine.”

 

“Exactly.” 

 

Gabe took out his phone and opened Snapchat, the only platform he knew Sombra’s information on. He typed in her screen name on that was simply “hackerbabe,” which he thought was stupid, but still typed it in anyways. He sent a message.

 

**Gabe:** You willing to meet me for something tomorrow?

 

She responded almost instantaneously.

 

**Sombra:** Miss me already? Knew you would.

 

**Gabe:** No. I just need your help.

 

**Sombra:** Why should I help you?

 

**Gabe:** You owe me, you say so yourself every single time i save your ass on a mission.

 

**Sombra:** Can I bring  araña with me?

 

 **Gabe:** Since I know you won't take no for an answer, fine. Where can we meet?

 

**Sombra:** There’s a Chick-Fil-A 5 miles West of you. We’ll be there in 20.

 

 **Gabe:**  I'm not even going to ask how you know where I am.

 

 **Sombra:** Smart boy.

 

“We’re meeting at a Chick-Fil-A in 20 minutes, do you have anything else you need here?”

 

Ana looked surprised. “No, I’m okay. How did you manage a meeting so soon?”

 

“No clue. She must be in the area. Couldn’t get her alone, though. She’s bringing someone you might not be happy to see, you might want to hang back at a hotel or something.”

 

“We're in this together now. You recruited my help. It's fine. Who could I possibly not want to see?”

 

“Amélie. LaCroix.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“She won't kill you. Promise.”

 

“I'll still go. I could take her.”

 

Gabe laughed. “Sure. I gotta grab a couple of things from my room.”

 

He wove his way back through the halls, and ghosted through his door. He grabbed his phone charger, identification, and a fuck ton of cash from his safe. When he panned back over, he took a photo of him and Jack. They were on the beach in L.A. Jack was kissing his cheek, and both were smiling. A simpler time. After that, he smokily left the room, speeding back to Ana. 

 

He shadow stepped them both back to their motel room, Ana crashing on her bed, and Gabriel unlocking his phone. 

 

His phone was full of photos, mainly of Jack. Jack smiling. Jack laughing. Jack crying. Jack giving a speech. Jack sleeping. Jack. Jack.  _ Jack.  _ There were a few of them together. Kissing, laughing, hugging, generally being in love. There were a few of Gabe and Jesse, mainly ones where the commander would steal the cowboy’s hat. Jack’s butt. Gabe carrying Jack over his shoulder. Ana and Jack sparring. Jack, again, but shirtless this time. 

 

Gabriel cringed at himself. That bordered on creepy. Who takes that many pictures of their boyfriend/fiancé? 

 

Ana sat up. “We should probably get going. She said twenty minutes almost twenty minutes ago.”

 

They walked to the restaurant in silence. Ana was scared. Gabriel was hopeful - he could possibly get a lead on Jack’s whereabouts. He got to thinking that even if he did find Jack, how would the other take it? There was a complete lack of trust, even hatred, before the explosion, and after, Gabriel had tried to kill Jack multiple times. Sure, he was brainwashed, but would Jack believe that? Probably not. He definitely wouldn’t trust the wraith -- Gabriel didn’t even trust himself. 

 

His phone buzzed, so he looked at it.

 

**Jesse:** Heard u got ur phone back

 

**Gabe:** From who?

 

**Jesse:** Sombra. Also heard u were looking for someone. Who?

 

**Gabe:** How the fuck do you know Sombra?

 

**Jesse:** We’re drinking buddies, who are u looking for

 

**Gabe:** Honestly, sorry to say this, but none of your business. Classified, or whatever.

 

**Jesse:** Please

 

**Gabe:** You’ll tell me I’m dumb for trying.

 

**Jesse:** Since when do you care

 

**Gabe:** Good point. I’m looking for Jack. 

 

**Jesse:** What the fuck he’s alive????!??!?!

 

**Gabe:** Yeah, just don’t know where he is.

 

**Jesse:** Shit, man, if I hear anything I’ll tell

 

**Gabe:** Thanks.

 

**Jesse:** If you find yourself in Texas, tell me, you can stay with Hanzo and I

 

**Gabe:** Thanks, Jesse. Really appreciate it. I’ll keep you updated.

 

**Jesse:** You won’t, but thank you for trying. Adios

 

Ana glared at him. “Can you seriously not text and walk?”

 

“I guess not. How close are we?”

 

“Do you see a Chick-Fil-A?”

 

He looked ahead. “Yes.”

 

“Then we must be there, idiot.” Gabriel glared at Ana.

 

The bell attached to the door rang as they opened it. Gabriel immediately spotted the head of purple and pink hair, and the purple woman sitting next to her. How the others in the store weren’t questioning it, Gabriel did not understand. Ana started over to the table, obviously recognizing Amelie, or as she was called now, Widowmaker. Sombra got up and walked over to Gabriel, who still stood by the door. Okay, maybe he was a little scared. Sombra could be a bit intimidating at times.

 

“You okay, Gabe?” she asked in her mock cheery voice.

 

“You don’t care.”

 

“You’re right, but you’re going to buy us food, so I need to make sure you’re alive. Wait, you’re not alive. Whatever. We want nuggets and fries.”

 

“What about drinks?”

 

“Dr. Pepper, and Sprite.”

 

“Will you tell me what I need to know?”

 

“Why should I help you?” Sombra had the most devious smile on her face.

 

“I’m buying you food, and like I said before, you owe me.”

 

“Fine. If I know the answer to what you’re asking, I’ll tell you.”

 

“You’ll know.”

 

“Great,” she said sarcastically. Food first.”

 

“Also, make sure Widow doesn’t kill Ana.”

 

“I can’t believe she’s Shrike. Can’t believe you’re friends with her. Seems way too nice. Actually, I can believe that she's Shrike, because I know everything about everyone. I love knowing more than anyone else.”

 

Gabriel rolled his eyes at Sombra's antics. “Don’t get on her bad side. Same with me.”

 

“No, see, when I first met you I was scared of you. I thought you were this edgelord killer that everyone feared, but it turns out you’re just a sad dude that misses his boyfriend and can’t control his emotions.” 

 

“Don’t know where that fucking came from, but okay, sure. Go sit down, I’ll get your food, then we talk.”

 

He got food for Sombra and Amelie, then for Ana, and a shake for himself. Maybe he’d give food a try. Even though it didn’t benefit him at all, he was getting bored of the mixture he used to substitute human souls. The order took a long time to complete, because even though the workers were Omnics, they were slow as fuck. He carried the bags back to the table, where Ana was being interrogated by Sombra. As his old friend saw Gabriel approaching, she smiled in a silent cry for help. 

 

“Sombra, stop.”

 

“You’re not the boss of me, Gabe.” 

 

Gabriel’s eyes went red. He was losing his control over his human form. He hated being called Gabe by anyone other than Jack, and Sombra had a tendency to get on his nerves, even when all she was doing was sitting there. She always called him Gabe. Any other contortion of his name was okay, but Gabe was reserved for Jack, and Jack  _ only.  _ “Maybe I’m not anymore, but we worked together for a while. I know your weaknesses, Sombra.”

 

“And I know yours. I know calling you Gabe makes you lash out. I know bringing up anyone from your past makes you lose control. I know exactly how to make you lose it, and lose yourself, too. You know this, but it’s been a while, so I’ll be nice and assume you forgot. You have no power over me.”

 

She was right. “Still, stop. I have food, and questions.” He divied out the bags and drinks, keeping the shake for himself.

 

“You’re having food?” Amelie asked astonishedly. 

 

“Yeah, so what?”

 

“Stop being so moody, edgy boy,” Sombra interjected. Ana laughed through a bite of her sandwich. 

 

“Down to business. Now. I don’t want to deal with your shit if you’re not going to help me.” Gabe sucked in a breath. “Where is Jack Morrison?”

 

Sombra choked on her food, laughing. “Dead, idiota.”

 

“He’s not. I have a lead, 76.”

 

Sombra sighed and pulled out a tablet. Although her job was to hack, she was a wizard at internet searching. “All I have is Soldier: 76. Is that him?”

 

“I don’t know, give me a picture.” Ana looked over at the tablet, seeing the picture too.

 

The guy on the screen was wearing a mask, with a glowing red eyepiece, the rest covering the bottom half of his face, leaving his forehead uncovered. He wore a flashy jacket, with the number 76 on the back. 

 

“It’s him,” Gabe whispered.

 

“How can you tell?” Ana challenged confusedly.

 

He laughed. “It’s his butt, honestly.” Ana glared. “And the rest of his body type. Mainly his ass. I’d recognize that flat thing anywhere.”

 

Everyone at the table laughed, excluding Amelie, which was understandable, seeing as she had no emotions. She didn’t question the statement, because she understood, just didn’t understand funny.

 

“Can you get me a location?” 

 

Sombra didn’t have to look at her tablet before responding. “He’s in Dorado, with Los Muertos. He’s a prisoner.”

 

Ana paled, and Gabriel gasped.

 

“Why do they have him?”

 

“They want to find out why Overwatch fell, and steal money and information from their reserves. Apparently they think that he knows things about that. All I know is that I was there yesterday, and he was being interrogated about that. They’ve had him for a couple months now. Can't get any info out of him.”

 

Gabriel quickly inhaled the rest of his shake. “Thanks Sombra. Come on Ana.”

 

“Wait, dumbass, you can’t just take the fight to Los Muertos. They’d crush you. Don’t even try to say that they wouldn’t. You’ve been beaten by children. I’ll help. They trust me.”

 

“Why would you help us take down your home organization?”

 

“You won’t need to take them down, just get your boy-toy.” 

 

“I want to make them pay,” he sneered.

 

“Do you want my help or not?”

 

Ana spoke up. “Yes, we really would.” 

 

“Then we go to Dorado when we’re done eating. Hope you’re packed.”

 

Gabriel and Ana were not packed, which made for a very annoyed Sombra, and the absence of Widowmaker. She hadn’t wanted to go in the first place, but Sombra said she had to. She ended up leaving anyways.

 

Ana grabbed her rifle, and small sack of belongings from their Motel room. Gabriel kept everything that he needed on his person, shotguns and armor forming out of smoke if he needed them to.

 

“How are we even going to get to Dorado? We’re still at Gibraltar,” Gabriel inquired as Ana packed her things.

 

“I have a translocator set up. How you’ll get back is your own problem.”

 

“I’ll worry about that once we find Jack.”

 

“I honestly didn’t think you had it in you to be so concerned about someone else.”

 

“I could say the same about you, Sombra. Are you sure you want to do this?”

 

“Los Muertos has been doing some really fucked up things lately, and this will put them back in their place. The fact that it’s helping you is just a mere coincidence.”

 

“Thank you, so much. I can’t explain how much this is going to help.”

 

“What are you even going to do with him when you get him back?”

 

“Let him decide where we go from there. Even if he doesn’t want me back, I’ll still save him, and anything is better than having him in the hands of Los Muertos.”

 

“Wow. Is that what love is like? Wait, I don’t want you to answer that.”

 

A creak of the door signaled that Ana was done. She had her bag slung over her shoulder, and the obvious indentation of her rifle showing through her coat. For a vigilante, she was not the best at hiding her gear.

 

“Is it go time?” Ana asked, eyes tired.

 

“Yea. We just need to find an alleyway so I can get these translocator links set up.” Ana gave Gabriel a concerned glance at what Sombra had said, she hadn’t known that they were using translocators. 

 

“Don’t worry, Amari, it’s safe.” Ana glared at her old friend as he uttered that statement, obviously not believing him.

 

Sombra led them into a dark passageway between the streets, and opened her image-affirming purple bag, pulling out three purple beacons, and set them on the ground. They lit up as she placed them on the damp concrete. 

 

“On my signal, touch the one in front of you.” Sombra crouched down, hovering her hand over the beacon she had placed ahead of her. Gabriel and Ana followed her example, slamming their hands down as fast as they could when Sombra said to  _ go.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel so bad that this is so late -- it was finals week, so I got nothing done except for suffering. As always, Kudos and comments are always appreciated! 
> 
>  
> 
> Tumblaaah: https://reyesbutt.tumblr.com/


	5. Chapter 5 // You're Always In Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel takes the fight to Los Muertos in hope of finding Jack.

When Gabriel was able to see and think again, he wasn’t in Gibraltar. He didn’t know where he was. He was still in an alley, but this one was more damp, and the walls were made out of a different shape of brick. He looked to his left and right, seeing no one. He was alone. He must’ve been split from the group during the translocation. 

 

He sat up, head pounding. He was almost positive he was in his wraith form, but he couldn’t find the will to care. Steadily, his eyes panned over the entire alley until he spotted it. A poster. Gabriel got up and walked over to it, squinting to read it in the low light. It was ripped and soaked, but he could still make out what it was, one of the old Overwatch posters, the ones that simply said “JOIN OVERWATCH TODAY!” with a picture of Jack in the middle, surrounded by all of the other agents who worked during the Omnic Crisis. He saw himself - who he  _ used _ to be on the poster. Although the quality was bad, the poster had colors bleeding from previous downpours, and he could barely make out his face, he could tell that he was making the same expression he always made, one that looked like he only cared about one thing, saving the world. He knew better, he had a lot more cares. The day that that poster went into circulation was the first day that he and Jack fought as a couple about couple things. He couldn’t forget that. They were arguing about something stupid, which was nice for a change. The argument was simply over what type of Mustard to have the cafeteria buy, but it spiraled into vicious personal attacks, which were most definitely  _ not _ about condiments. They didn’t talk, or spare second glances at each other for two days, until Jack slipped into Gabriel’s bed in the middle of the night, whispering that he didn’t like fighting. Gabriel, of course, agreed. He hated fighting with Jack, mainly because he never knew who was most right. Even past his anger, he was able to let go and wrap his arms around his boyfriend. That’s when Jack showed him a picture of the poster that was going into circulation that very day. 

 

Gabriel’s head pounded as he got himself out of the past. He had to find Sombra and Ana. He wouldn’t have to only have memories of Jack, he could have the real thing. He had to go. He couldn't give up hope. 

 

His phone buzzed in his jean pocket, and he pulled it out, seeing a text from Sombra. 

 

**Sombra:** Don't know where you are, but Amari and I are at the big white church. Meet us there ASAP. Don't want to be here longer than I have to. 

 

He looked around, and saw the building she was talking about. In the city destroyed by Omnics and gangs, the white church looked pure. He shouldn't be there. Gladly, he didn't have to go inside. 

 

His allies were waiting expectantly on the porch. Sombra’s face was painted in neon green, and her hair was spiked up, her Los Muertos uniform. 

 

“It's just over here. Stay outside and hide.” Gabriel was confused, because why would a terrorist organization hide out in the middle of a city? As they followed Sombra, Gabe and Ana were astonished at the large pyramid shaped building showing over the gray walls. The hacker pressed a spot on the wall and typed in a code on the purple keypad that came up, and gestured for Ana and Gabriel to come inside. Once they were in, she pointed at some dark green bushes, silently instructing them to hide. She elaborated that she had hacked the cameras. They got down and she got on the path just in time for the guards to escort her inside. 

 

Gabriel switched his communicator inside his mask on. He and Sombra still had a personal closed channel from their time in Talon. Sombra could send messages through it from her brain, without having to speak. Gabe was happier than anything to eavesdrop, and hear exactly what Sombra and the guards were saying. 

 

“So you're saying he's not a threat to us?” a man with a deep voice, presumably a guard, asked. 

 

“No. He's just a senile old man trying to figure things out and failing,” Sombra replied slyly. “How long have you had him?”

 

“Two months.”

 

“Have you gotten any useful information from him?” 

 

“Well, no, but...”

 

“Give him to me, then. Talon can use him. Los Muertos will get a cut of the money he pulls in.”

 

Gabriel’s mind went blank. Talon? Give Jack to Talon? This was not part of the plan. That was the opposite of what he wanted.

 

A direct message came from Sombra.  _ Not actually going to give him to Talon, just trying to convince. _

 

The weight was lifted off his chest with that reassurance. Jack would be okay. He tuned back into the channel. 

 

“He has belongings that he needs.” 

 

“Is that really that important?”

 

“Yep. Visor, gun, and that stupid jacket.”

 

Gabriel heard a grunt and what he thought was compliance. Another message came through from Sombra.  _ They’re onto me. Come back up. There’s only one guard on me right now, but you’ll need to fight your way in.  _

 

“Ana, stay here,” Gabriel said sternly. “They can’t kill me. They can -- and  _ will _ kill you. Stay out here and fend off any stragglers. Call if you need me.”

 

“I’m a better shot than you, Gabriel.”

 

“Being accurate doesn’t matter here. Being able to take a ton of hits does.”

 

Gabriel materialized his guns, armor, and mask from his smoky form, and shadow stepped inside the base. He was immediately greeted with two guards, easily matched with his two shotguns before they could fire a shot. He had no clue where to go, just a vague idea that where they were keeping Jack was probably in the center of the building, the hardest place to access. He ran through a promising looking tunnel, only to be met with a group of at least twenty guards. Ana was screaming at him from the communicator to turn back, but he couldn’t. He was too close. He  _ had  _ to save Jack. Even if it killed him, which he doubted it would.

 

The first guard charged at him with a glowing sword, which he easily deflected with his armguard, tossing the guard aside with his shoulder. Three came at him next, and he fired shots 3, 4, and 5, sending them all to the floor, clutching their stomachs where the bullets had entered.

 

A searing pain ripped through his shoulder, and he stopped for a second to let it register and fade away, burning as his cells regenerated. He exhaled smoke, and walked towards the rest of the guards, one holding a smoking handgun. He shot the one with the gun first, not caring as the shots of the others ripped through his barely formed body. He laughed as he fired shots 7 and 8, stepping back to reload. He dropped the two shotguns he was holding, wisps of smoke replacing them as they hit the ground. In his hands were two new shotguns formed out of smoke. The guards were shooting him while this happened, but he still couldn’t care. It only took him the two new guns to finish off the remaining fourteen, as he paired his shots with kicks and swipes of claws. 

 

He dropped the empty guns, and knelt down next to the pile of bodies. He hated having to do this, but he needed power if he was going to save Jack. He let one hand hover, watching the glowing red orbs materialize as the bodies grew pale. Gabriel allowed the Reaper to absorb the souls, and he got back on his feet, full of a new, indescribable energy.

 

He sprinted down the halls, weaving his way through to the middle, shooting any guard that got in his way, and reaped the benefits. He reached a cross hallway, and pondered for a second. Where would they be keeping Jack? He thought about this until he saw a familiar, glowing face. Sombra was being dragged along by two guards. Gabriel deformed and reformed behind them, hitting both their heads with shotguns, freeing Sombra.

 

“Gracias, Gabrielito.”

 

“No time to talk. Where’s Jack?”

 

“You’re an asshole when you want something.”

 

“Jack, now.”

 

Sombra started walking down the tunnel from which she came. It quickly got lighter, obviously this area of the base was occupied. Gabriel heard a guard behind them, and quickly drew a shotgun and fired, hitting the spy between his eyes. 

 

“This is where I leave you. He’s just up the in a room at the end of this tunnel.  _ Adios. Gracias por salvarme _ .” She disappeared at that. Gabriel was worried, he couldn’t exactly trust Sombra. This could be a trap. She still had affiliations with Los Muertos, after all. Still, he couldn’t turn back. If Sombra  _ wasn’t  _ lying, Jack would be just ahead. 

 

He peered around the corner, astonished at what he saw. There were tens of guards standing around a computer in front of a large window. He thought that must be where Jack was. 

 

He smoked into the center of the group of guards, who were looking at the computer, which showed a file on Jack Morrison. That pissed off the wraith. He condensed, drawing his shotguns, and fired in a swirling spiral of death. When his clips were unloaded, he panted, crouching down on the bloody floor. He could feel himself pulling the souls of those he killed towards him, he could feel them being absorbed. 

 

He was ready.

 

The man he saw past the window did not look like Jack Morrison. Jack Morrison was a cocky, slightly arrogant corn-boy who couldn’t take no for an answer. This man that he saw was old, scarred, hunched over, and looked broken. This couldn’t be Jack. He knew that this man was Jack, though, beaten and broken by his own life. 

 

Jack had started to look old at a surprisingly young age, around thirty. He had become Strike Commander about five years before he started to look old, but the stress of the job caught up with him quickly. His hair was thinning and going gray, his eyes were dark, not shining blue like they were during the SEP, and his face was starting to form wrinkles from frowning and pursing his lips all the time. Of course, Gabriel still thought he was beautiful, but Gabriel was biased. Ana had teased him about it a lot. Angela tried to persuade him to get a face lift. Torbjorn and Reinhardt gave him a membership card to the “Old Dudes Gang.” Jack had always been used to being the pretty boy, but he was getting old.

 

This new Jack  _ was _ old, and looked like he accepted it. His hair was white, his face scarred, eyes dark from little sleep, and body thin from being held captive. He was wearing a black turtleneck, which was more torn apart than held together, standard military pants, and his metal lined boots. He looked sad. Tired. Done. 

 

Gabriel wanted to free him. That was Jack, and Jack was his best friend. His boyfriend. His fiance. 

 

He smashed his shotgun into the glass with as much force as he could muster, shattering it into pieces. As the shards fell, he jumped, dissolving before he hit the ground. Jack was still blankly staring at the window, wondering what had happened. Gabriel debated on materializing into a solid form, but realized he couldn’t shadowstep them out without it. He reformed loudly, showing without his mask, but his human form.

 

“Why the fuck are you here,  _ Reaper. _ ”

 

“I’m not Reaper anymore,” Gabriel replied despondently. He didn't understand why Jack didn't notice that he was Gabriel. 

 

“Then who are you?”

 

“Someone you knew.”

 

“Everyone I know is dead, and why the hell should I believe you?” Jack asked hoarsely, backing away from the wraith.

 

“Because I’m freeing you.” 

 

Jack laughed. “You’ve tried to kill me three times, why would you want to free me?”

 

“Because I’m not Reaper anymore. I don’t want them to be torturing you.”

 

“A little late for that, bud.”

 

_ Bud. _

 

“Where is your shit?” Gabriel was a bit irritated that Jack didn’t believe him, but tried his best not to let it show.

 

“There’s a closet in here, but it’s locked. If you can get into it, awesome. If not, no big deal.”

 

Gabriel misted under the door of the locked supply closet, unlocking it from the twist lock inside, and pushed it open. “Visor, jacket, and gun, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Gabriel handed Jack his things, and he wasted no time putting them on. He groaned. “Fuck. They cracked my visor. It's not turning on. Great. Perfect. I love being alive.”

 

“No big deal. Come on, we have to go before they reform.”

 

“Why should I go with you?”

 

“Because I can get us out of here without having to avoid the guards. I know you don't want to, but you're going to have to trust me on this.”

 

Jack sighed, but nodded. Gabriel grabbed his arm, and focused his energy on shadow stepping them out of the base, visualizing the bush Ana was behind. 

 

His precision was off, so he got them right in front of the doors. 

 

“Morrison, we’re outside. Come on, we have to get Ana.”

 

“Ana who? Amari? She's helping you? What the fuck did you do to her?”

 

“Voluntarily.”

 

They walked down the path towards the gate, Jack swerving slightly. He walked off the path, tripped over rocks, and bumped into Gabriel over and over again. Gabriel really didn’t care, but it was slightly concerning.

 

“Can you please watch where you're going? You walk like you're drunk.”

 

Jack laughed. “I'm blind, asshole.”

 

Oh.  __

 

That explained a lot. It explained why Jack had no clue who he was. It explained why he was so confused when he encountered the Reaper. 

 

“So you can't see at all?” Gabe had a hand on his shoulder now to guide him, making sure he stayed on the path. 

 

“Nope. Not without my visor, and they cracked it. I'll just need a new lens, I think the mechanics are okay.”

 

“Where can you get a lens?”

 

“There were a ton of them at the Watchpoint in Gibraltar. I'll have to go there to get it.”

 

“I'll get it for you.” 

 

“You don't have--”

 

“Yes, I do. Now stop arguing and walk.” Jack groaned. “How did you know it was me?”

 

“You smell like smoke, and you make a specific noise when you change forms. Also, I can see blobs. Black smoky blob with a white thing over where the face would be? Probably the Reaper.”

 

“Seems like you’ve seen me a lot.”

 

“You tried to kill me like three times. Don’t you remember that?”

 

“Honestly, no, because I was brainwashed at the time. I guess I should apologize about that, then. Sorry I was brainwashed and tried to kill you.”

 

“I wouldn’t have cared.”

 

“That’s morbid, Morrison.”

 

“Who are you, anyways? You said you were someone from my past, but the only people from my past that I know are alive are most certainly not the Reaper.”

 

“Think about the dead ones, then.”

 

They reached the end of the path, Gabe leaving Jack to grab Ana from the bushes. 

 

“Took you long enough. Where's Sombra?” Ana asked. 

 

“She had to flee. Could be anywhere by now.”

 

“I see he’s alive. Jack! We're over here.”

 

Jack smiled at the sound of her voice, and tried walking towards the noise. He tripped over a rock. Gabriel caught him by his jacket. 

 

“Oops,” Jack laughed. 

 

“He's blind,” Gabriel explained to Ana. 

 

“Ah, I see. It's Ana. How are you, Jack?”

 

“Besides wanting death on an always basis, being blind as shit, and tortured for the last two months, pretty okay.”

 

As Ana and Jack chatted amicably, the ground rumbled. Gabriel looked to the source of the sound, seeing that the Los Muertos soldiers had reassembled. The large, iron doors opened, and troops poured out. They poised their guns, but didn't shoot. 

 

“Gabriel, we have to go. Now!” Ana shouted. 

 

“Gabriel?” Jack gasped. 

 

Gabe grabbed their wrists, and pictured the address that Jesse had told him. He suspected that they'd get pretty close to where he lived, at least walking distance. 

 

As they disintegrated, the soldiers fired at Gabriel. Before they shadow stepped, he took three shots. The pain didn't really bother him. It did, however, make him lose a bit of his focus. He thought a quick  _ oh, shit,  _ as they vaped away from Dorado. 

 

Gabriel Reyes sucked in a quick breath as he reassembled himself into a corporeal form. Shadow stepping only himself was easy and required almost no energy. Shadow stepping other people required a lot of energy. He could feel himself fading. He was turning to smoke. He needed a soul, and fast. The surplus he had taken from Dorado hadn't lasted. 

 

His eyes focused, looking to his side, where Jack was standing. Ana was on his left, talking on her cell phone. She had known the plan, which was to stay with Jesse. He would be picking them up, because Gabriel’s shadow steps lacked precision. Jack and Ana were talking, with smiles on their faces. Gabriel just wanted to cling to Jack’s leg and disintegrate. He needed a soul, and fast. 

 

He allowed himself to turn to smoke, memorizing where Ana and Jack were. He'd come back after he found a dead person. 

 

He wasn't going to kill anyone - that'd be unethical. If he found someone recently dead, however, he would definitely eat their soul. He could sense the red orbs before he saw them. There were two in the middle of a Main Street. Victims of a car crash, long past being able to be revived, yet their souls still clung to their bodies. He materialized next to the orbs, not caring that people were staring, and absorbed them. He gave the bystanders the finger, he didn't give a fuck. He turned back into smoke and wove his way down side streets, until he got to the alleyway where he left his friends. 

 

The entrance to the alley was now blocked with a red truck. Ana and Jack were talking to Jesse and his Dragon friend. Gabriel reappeared right next to Jesse. 

 

“Okay, I'm back. Had a thing to do.” Jesse, Ana, and Dragon Boy gasped at his sudden reappearance. 

 

“He was gone?” Jack asked. Gabriel bit back a laugh. 

 

“Yes, Jack,” Ana replied. “He was gone for like twenty minutes. How are you a vigilante, again? You are not very vigilant.”

 

“Most of the time, I can see.” Gabriel did laugh at that one. “What’s so funny?”

 

“Nothing, just,” he took a deep breath, “just tired, is all.” 

 

Jesse rolled his eyes at what Gabriel said. “Okay, can we get out of this alleyway? It smells like rotten dog shit in here,” Jesse groaned. “You three will have to fit in the backseat, Hanzo’s in the front.” Gabriel deduced that Hanzo must have been the name of Jesse’s Dragon friend.

 

They piled into the backseat of the truck, Ana sitting in between Jack and Gabriel. She noticed that they were not ready to talk yet. The squish was uncomfortable, because even though Ana was small, she was sitting in between two super soldiers in the middle of their existential crises. 

 

Although Jack and Gabriel didn’t talk, Jesse made sure the keep the airspace occupied with his stories of what he’d done since the fall of Overwatch, most of which consisted of soul-searching, and dating an ex-member of the Shimada clan, saying the latter like it was a normal thing to date an assassin. Gabriel told him that, to which Jesse corrected  _ ex-assassin. _ As Jesse blabbered on, Gabriel craned his head to the left, looking at Jack’s profile. His face hadn’t changed that much since right before the explosion, except for the twin scars across his mouth and nose. His hairline had receded a bit, and the golden blond locks had turned to white. His eyes still had their blue color, but it was milkier because of his vision impairments.

 

Jack looked blindly back at Gabriel, who immediately turned his head, pretending that he saw something interesting outside of the truck. Ana sighed loudly at that, but she knew beforehand that it would take both of them a while before they were willing to suck up their pride and apologize. No one in the backseat uttered a noise, except for breathing.

 

Jesse’s house was only ten minutes from the alley where they started. It was relatively large, but not as big as the others in the neighborhood. The outside was lined with white bricks, and wherever there was concrete or wood, it was painted white. It looked pristine and clean, pure. It was fitting for Jesse and Hanzo. The lawn was well-kept, the grass green and plants alive in the hot, Southern climate. There was a bubbling fountain on the walk up to the main set of iron doors.

 

“Jesse, where did you earn enough money to buy this place?” Ana asked.

 

“I invented a new way to keep hats on heads, like a separate attachment. Since this is the South, it sells pretty well. Hanzo had some bank, too.” Hanzo nodded.

 

“What’s Hanzo’s last name, anyways?” Gabriel asked. The archer whispered to his boyfriend, and they talked for a few seconds before Jesse spoke again.

 

“You probably won’t be happy,” Gabriel hated it when Jesse led off with that statement, “it’s Shimada. He’s Hanzo Shimada.”

 

“Like, Genji’s brother. The one that attempted to murder him.” Jesse was right, Gabriel was not happy. 

 

“I was young and naive,” Hanzo interjected.

 

The man cloaked in black scoffed. “When I was young and naive, I grew my hair really long and then dyed it red. I stretched my ears. I didn’t kill my fucking brother, who happens -- or at least  _ happened _ to be a great guy. Haven’t seen him in a while.”

 

“Cut him some slack, Reyes. He obviously feels bad about it,” Jesse said, eyes crossed.

 

“Sorry doesn’t forgive murder.”

 

“Gabe, you’ve killed innocent people, too.” That one came from Jack. “Reaper had hundreds of hits. Even when you were leading the Strike Team during the first crisis, you killed innocent people. Don’t act like you’re so high and mighty.” 

 

“Not on purpose. He killed his brother on purpose. I’m not a fan of fratricide.”

 

“And I’m not a fan of homicide. Shit happens. Deal with it. Genji’s okay, he turned out great. He’s mostly robot now, but that’s cool.”

 

Gabriel was fuming, smoke coming off of him very concentrated, and dissipating once the plumes were visible. “You don’t know anything about this, Morrison. You were always too busy being  _ Mr. Golden Boy Overwatch _ to care about what we had to do.”

 

“Can we not do this in front of everyone? It’s probably going to end in a fight, and that’s not something I want everyone to see.” Hanzo walked in the house, understanding that they had to hash this out. Jesse and Ana followed closely.

 

“What I did as Reaper wasn’t me. I was fucking brainwashed. Why don’t you get that.”

 

“My general concensus is to not trust dead people. If I were dead, I would lie about shit, too.”

 

“Morrison. I’m not lying. Do you want to know what I remember about that time? Nothing. I don’t know shit about what happened. I know about certain things that I did during that time, but only because someone had told me. Shit, man, I didn’t even know you were alive until Ana told me that I tried to kill you.”

 

“Why would I believe you?” 

 

“I rescued you!”

 

“I didn't need it. I would've gotten out.”

 

“I still did it, though.”

 

“Why?”

 

Gabe stammered, trying to find his words. “Because. I did. I'm just going to go get the shit for your visor.”

 

“Are you crying right now? I can't tell because I can't see, but I hear your breathing.”

 

“I'm not crying. Go in the house and get settled or whatever. I'll be back later.”

 

“You are. It sounds the same. Why are you crying?”

 

“I'm not. If I was, you wouldn't understand.”

 

“I wouldn't expect to. But, if you want to go so badly, just do it. It’d be like Gabriel Reyes to fucking leave.”

 

“That’s it, you ass!” Gabriel surged forward and grabbed him by the collar, pinning him against the white brick of Jesse’s house. Even in his younger days, Gabriel had had a temper. “Oh my God, youre right.” He set Jack down gently.  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. Please, please forgive me, Jack, I’m sorry.”

 

“At least I can almost believe that you’re Gabriel after that exposition.”

 

“I can control my anger, I swear, I just need to talk about it.”

 

“Are you trying to cope?” Jack shook his head. “What the fuck, man? No one copes with this shit. What’d they do to you?”

 

“None of your business.”

 

“By the way, I forgive you for trying to kill me. And for what just happened. It’s not just you, man, I’d fucking deck you in an instant.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I kind of hate you. It’s fine, though. I’ll overcome it.”

 

Gabriel choked on a sob as Jack left him on the porch, fumbling for the handle of the door blindly. He shadow stepped away, heading to Gibraltar for the lenses. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Jack! Omg. We're getting close to the end, here (not). 
> 
> In this chapter we meet Jack, who may or may not be edgier than Gabe. My headcanons for Jack all stem from him not being able to cope very well with all the crap that's happened in his life, thus the tag "Crippling Depression Jack." It just seems logical. The guy canonically doesn't value his life/well-being very much, so that's why I chose to write him as such.
> 
> Gabriel's little outburst! Before y'all get mad, it's based on canon. Michael Chu tweeted (if anyone can find the link, hmu) that Gabriel thought Jack left him for dead after the explosion. I'd be pretty mad at my significant other if they did that to me. When I wrote about him being angry before, that stems from both of them being hella stressed all the time, they'd probably both be in a state of misplaced anger.
> 
> Radical!
> 
> If you enjoyed, Kudos, comments, and shares are always super appreciated! (Actually! Tell me what you liked! What didn't you like? How can I improve? Let me know!)
> 
> https://reyesbutt.tumblr.com/


	6. Chapter 6 // A Better Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is back. He's not dead, just old.

Gibraltar was unchanged from the last time he was there. He walked down the familiar tunnels leading to Winston’s workshop, humming the tune to a song he couldn't remember the name of. When he reached the door, he turned to smoke and slipped under it, condensing again once inside. 

 

He had no clue what he was looking for, besides the fact that Jack said they were lenses. Probably red, seeing that his visor was red. He found a lot of metal scraps, frayed cables, and empty peanut butter containers before finding a box labeled “lenses,” which he concluded must've been the right thing. He peeked in the box, seeing copies of the one that was cracked in Jack’s visor. He grabbed the entire box and shadow stepped out of there, intending to go back to Jesse’s. He couldn't. He had to be in a more open space for that. He smoked under the door and walked back to the place he originally arrived. As he got closer to the atrium, he heard two voices. One deep, and one high, which he immediately recognized. Winston and Tracer. What would they be doing at a shut down Watchpoint? Gabriel wanted to ask, but decided not to take any chances, and shadow stepped the first second he could. 

 

He almost fell and dropped the lenses as he hit the porch, sinking down to his knees to lessen the impact. He was tired again. He needed to stop pushing himself. He needed to not talk to Jack or anyone else and get his energy up again. He got up, regardless, and walked into the house. 

 

Jesse was standing at the kitchen counter. “Hey, Reyes.”

 

“Where's Jack?”  

 

“First room on that hall to the left. We only had enough guest rooms for two, and Ana and Jack had dibs because you weren't here, so you get the couch bed, sorry.”

 

“I don't sleep.”

 

“Great, works out perfectly, then.”

 

Gabriel carried the box down to Jack’s room, not bothering to knock before barging in. 

 

Jack was annoyed at this. “Can you knock?” He grabbed his tee shirt and pulled it on over his scarred, bruised, and slightly bleeding chest. He glared at the intruder, and on noticing that the blob of color he saw was Gabriel, uncrossed his arms.

 

“What did they do to you?” Gabriel asked, concern evident in his voice.

 

“Shit I'm not going to tell you.”

 

“I have the lenses. Here. I'm leaving now. Sorry to bug you.” He placed the box on Jack’s bed, walking out the door and closing it harshly after. He leaned against the wall, trying to keep his emotions in check. Something about Jack just affected him more than anything else.

 

He heard the creak of the floorboards, then the  _ woosh-crack _ of the door opening. 

 

“Gabe, I,” Jack started, carrying his visor in his right hand, left one placed on Gabriel’s shoulder. 

 

“Save it. I can tell that you're not ready to have me around yet, so I'll keep out of your way.” Gabriel’s eyes were downcast, as he attempted to avoid eye contact, although his mask would diminish it. 

 

“I want you here. I just,” he groaned, “I don't know what happened. Where’d we go wrong? I never hated you, man. Never. Why did we fall apart?”

 

Gabriel turned around. “Work tore us apart. People made us believe that we weren't who we told each other we were. Or at least, that's what I'd figured out.”

 

“I spent the last five years trying to figure out where I went wrong, Gabe. I found some things out.”

 

“Can we talk about this somewhere Jesse won't be eavesdropping on us?” Jack looked down the hall, just to see Jesse duck behind a counter, falling with a loud  _ thud _ . “Great job there, slick.”

 

They slipped into Jack’s room, Gabriel taking the chair, and Jack sitting on the still-made bed. 

 

“So,” Gabriel started breathily. “What do you know?”

 

“You were right about everything.”

 

In that moment, Gabriel Reyes got to witness Jack Morrison fall into pieces more than he ever had before. He was bawling, gasping for air between sobs. He was shaking. Gabriel got up from the chair and rushed to the bed, instinctively wrapping the man in his arms. Jack felt frail. He felt old and worn down. He didn't feel strong like he used to. Gabriel could still tell that Jack could bench press him with ease, but he felt weak. He didn’t know what to say. 

 

“Hey, it's okay. Jack, please, come back to me.”

 

“Where's,” he uttered a loud sob, which he covered up with a cough, “my visor? I need to see you.”

 

Gabriel felt fear strike him. “I don't think that that's the best idea.”

 

“Gabe. Give me my visor. I don’t care what you look like, I just can’t picture what Ana told me about your appearance.”

 

Gabriel reluctantly sighed, getting up to locate where Jack could’ve left it. It was right next to him on the bed.

 

“It was right next to you,” Gabriel muttered as he lined up the edges of the visor with the links around Jack’s ears, and heard it snap into place. “Can you see?”

 

“Take your mask off. I’ve seen the mask before.” Gabriel looked around, making sure no one else was in the dimly lit room, then obliged, smoke pouring out from where it was confined. “You,” Jack stiffened, “you look the same. A few more scars.” His expression was invisible under the glowing visor.

 

“I only look the same because I’m trying to. If I just let myself look like I would normally, Jack, I look like a monster, because that’s what I am.” The Reaper tried to scream  _ HE MADE US LIKE THIS,  _ but Gabriel knew better. Jack wouldn’t do that to him. “You don’t want to see that.”

 

“I do, though. Please.”

 

“Fine.” Gabriel let his guard down, feeling nervous, but better than he was before. Holding a human form took an obscene amount of energy, whereas looking like the mangled mess he was costed none. Jack was awkwardly quiet, and still tense. “What? I’m not sexy anymore?”

 

“That’s a lot of eyes.”

 

“Is that a problem?”

 

“No. It’s just different.”

 

“Why can I see your teeth?” 

 

“I’m missing part of my face that covered my mouth, Jack.” Gabriel knew what he looked like. He was a monster. He didn’t know how Jack wasn’t freaking out. Ana certainly had. “Do you trust that it’s me, now?”

 

“I don’t know yet. You haven’t done anything distinctly  _ Gabe _ yet.”

 

Gabriel thought hard. What would be something distinctly Gabe? He was Gabe, this shouldn’t be hard. He panned over the man in front of him, eyes widening at the silver chain around his neck. “Are those my dog tags?”

 

“Yeah. Do you still have mine?”

 

Gabriel pulled his chain out from under his coat, the matte metal tags contrasting with the shining gold band. “Of course.” Every time Talon had tried to take them, Gabriel had lashed out, breaking bindings and every other restraint they put on him. Normally, when he tried to break free, he couldn’t, but when it came to those tags, he fought with everything he could muster. 

 

“You wore my name and carried my ring for the past five years?”

 

“Yeah. Even though I didn’t know who I was, I knew that Jack Morrison was mine and I was his. Talon tried to take it off of me a few times, and I flipped so many shits.” Gabriel moved his hand towards Jack’s collar, talons dissipating. “Can I?”

 

Jack nodded. Gabriel gently lifted the chain out from under his shirt, admiring the silver band. He glanced at the tags, seeing that they bore the name Gabriel Reyes. 

 

“As much as I tried to hate you for attempting to kill me, I couldn’t get rid of these. I haven’t removed this fucking chain in ten years.”

 

“That’s kind of gross, honestly.”

 

“Didn’t you do the same?”

 

Gabriel stared at his feet abashedly. “Well, yeah, but, it’s different.” 

 

Jack laughed, then took off his visor, placing it right next to where he sat. “I can’t believe you’re alive, Gabe.”

 

“Me neither.” Gabriel sat back down next to Jack, and caressed his chin with a clawless thumb. Jack leaned in to the touch. “You do realize that we’re not cool yet, right?” 

 

“We’re not?” 

 

“No, Jackie. We didn’t talk about what we needed to. Part of me still wants to hate you, man. I don’t want to hurt you. I miss you more than anything, but we need to figure out what went wrong before we can start again.”

 

“I don’t want to wait, though.”

 

“Jack, we need to figure this out.”

 

“Will you at least kiss me?”

 

“No. I’ve told you why multiple times now.”

 

“We’ve been apart for so long, Gabe. Why would we wait longer?”

 

“So we don’t hurt each other.”

 

“You won’t--”

 

“I might.” Gabriel’s tone was harsh. “End of discussion. I could do anything, man. I’m still a loose cannon. I don’t trust myself, even though you seem to trust me. I don’t want to hurt you, physically or emotionally, and you’ve hurt me in the past, too. We need to go over things and see where we went wrong.”

 

“Fine, whatever, just go.”

 

“Jack, don’t be like this. We could talk about this now.”

 

“Please, go before I tell you to fuck off.”

 

“Did you think this would be easy?”

 

“I didn’t think it’d be hard. I was under the impression that you still loved me.”

 

“You’re overreacting. Of course I still love you, I’m just being sensible. I’m trying to save what we still have.”

 

“Then just fucking kiss me!” Jack shouted, angrily. He had a grimace on his face, and he was squinting. 

 

Gabriel carefully caressed Jack’s face, before placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “I still love you. I always will.”

 

Jack melted into the gentle touch, nonverbally confirming what Gabriel thought was true. Jack did need him. “I love you too.” Jack’s arms encircled his old friend. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Me too.”

 

“I never wanted this to happen, Gabi. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would. I’d make sure that that explosion never happened. I’d make sure you were Strike Commander, instead of me, you’d do a much better job of it.”

 

“Hey, you don’t know that.”

 

“Pretty damn sure you’ve told me that exact thing multiple times.”

 

“Probably.”

 

Jack let go of Gabriel, and sat straight up, eyes showing a wistful fondness. “Do you think you could’ve been a better Strike Commander than me?” 

 

Gabriel tensed up. “Well, I mean, I would’ve handled the stress better than you did, but you were a better leader. When we were young, I was jealous, and I thought I could’ve done it better, but I was wrong. You were the right choice. I wouldn’t have been. Ana, maybe. You, definitely.”

 

“What do you mean, did I not handle stress well?”

 

“Jack. You barely slept, had a mental breakdown on the daily, and got fucking smashed whenever you could, even if you had a meeting the next morning. You most certainly did  _ not _ handle stress well.” Jack looked offended. “I really do hope you quit drinking so much. It’s really not good for you.”

 

“If I tell you that I did can we stop fighting and just make up?”

 

“Jack,” Gabriel sighed, “you know that’s not how it works.”

 

“Okay, then we’re going to talk about things.”

 

“Tonight? You need to sleep. You probably didn’t get much when you were with Los Muertos.”

 

“I didn’t, but I have to be reasonably drunk to even think about sleeping, and you won’t approve of that, so we should just talk about things now.”

 

“You have to be reasonably drunk to even think about uttering that sentence, since we had just talked about how I don’t like your drinking.”

 

“I am reasonably drunk.”

 

“At least I know you’re being honest. Fine. I’ll go so you can get smashed.”

 

“I don’t want you to leave.”

 

“I don’t want you to say anything you wouldn’t want me to hear.” Gabriel stood up. “This is a completely new thing, Jack. Nothing is the same as before that explosion. I don’t trust that you know what drunk you says.”

 

“I don’t care if you hear it.”

 

“Jack, just trust me. I know you don’t want to, and you probably shouldn’t but trust me when I say that I’m doing this for your sake. For  _ our  _ sake. Now try to get some sleep, you need it. You look like you’ve been through hell and back.” He walked out of the room, gently shutting the door this time, and ambled back to the lounge area where his couch bed was. 

 

Gabriel laid down on the couch with a sigh. He felt like he had messed things up, but he knew he had made the right decision. Starting things again with Jack so soon would be a bad plan, hell, when they first got together, they had known each other for almost five years. Gabriel still longed for his one love, and it hurt to have to push him away, but it was for the good of their relationship. He shut his eyes, knowing he couldn’t sleep, but intended to get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowza, it's been a long time. I apologize. Finals hit, and it took me a very long time to recover. Thanks for being so patient, y'all!!!!!!!
> 
> Maybe give some love to my 8tracks? I make new playlists a couple times a week B) https://8tracks.com/kennyparse


	7. Chapter 7 // Sober

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack reverts back to old habits.

Maybe he  _ could  _ sleep. He didn’t know how long he had been out, only that he had been risen by a loud  _ crash _ from near him. He carefully got to his feet, forming his mask and his shotguns out of smoke, just in case there was an intruder. His steps were silent on the carpeted floor. As carpet turned to tile, he felt a liquid on the bottom of his feet, but in the dark, he couldn’t see it. He walked to the opposite wall, unknown liquid coating his bare feet as he attempted to reach the lightswitch. He flicked it on, ceiling bulbs blooming to life. The liquid was a pale brown, which paired well with the alcoholic smell. Whiskey. He looked closer to the fridge to find a body on the floor, making soft sobbing noises.

 

“Really, Jack?”

 

“I had it in my,” he sobbed quietly, “hands. Then I dropped it. Why do I always mess things up?”

 

Gabriel sighed, hiding a smile, and let his mask and guns dissipate back into smoke. “You always were an emotional drunk. Come on, get up, and get to bed.” Jack laid there. “Why aren’t you moving? Did you fall asleep? Damn it, Jackie.” Gabriel was taken aback by his immediate use of that nickname. The two still had some shit to work through. 

 

Gabriel grabbed Jack by the arm, wrapping it around his shoulders and pulling him up. When he didn't awaken, Gabriel carried him in his arms back to his room. 

 

“Just like old times,” Jack slurred as Gabriel ambled down the hallway. “I can't handle myself and get drunk, and you deal with it. Hah.”

 

“Jack,” Gabriel startered. “Don't say that, you can handle yourself. You went five years without me, and got by okay.”

 

“I drank almost an entire bottle of vodka every day, and I smoked two packs a week. I don't,” he hiccuped, “know how to handle myself.” 

 

Gabriel used his hip to open the door, which was conveniently cracked and not shut. “You were asleep a second ago.”

 

“I wasn't, I just wanted you to carry me.”

 

The long haired man sighed. “That's fine. You're probably too fucked up to walk, anyways.” Gabriel set Jack down gently on his bed. “Night, Jackie.”

 

“Stay.”

 

“What?”

 

“Stay with me,” Jack slurred as he rolled over. “Just tonight.”

 

“You know I can't.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I could kill you. I don't know if I have complete control over myself yet. This could all be some ploy by Talon to murder you, and I'm unaware of it.”

 

“As long as it was you that killed me, I'd be okay with it.”

 

Gabriel sat down on the edge of the bed. “That's not healthy.” He ran his talonless fingers through Jack’s hair, who leaned into the touch. “I don't know what I would do if I hurt you. I don't  _ want _ to hurt you.”

 

“Trust yourself, then.”

 

“I can't.”

 

Jack sat up. “Do you trust me?”

 

They made eye contact before Gabriel responded. “No.”

 

“Wha-”

 

“Jack, it’s nothing about you, just about what you did.”

 

“What did I do?” 

 

Gabriel was taken aback. “You blew us up in the Swiss base.”

 

Jack started to laugh, then coughed. “That wasn't me. Look in my visor. I have the tapes.”

 

Gabriel picked up the metal faceplate from Jack’s desk, and placed it over his face. Immediately, his vision was blurred and tinted red. A file search system came up, and he opened it by concentrating on it. There was a folder labeled ‘Swiss Base’, and another labeled ‘Memories’. Gabriel opened the Swiss Base one, and was greeted by documents, notes, and a single video, which he played. 

 

The video showed Jack’s office, an aerial centered so that Jack’s face wasn't visible, but Gabriel’s was. Jack’s tabletop computer showed a picture of the two, smiling, which contrasted the mood of the room entirely. 

 

_ “Jack. You can't keep letting this shit slip under your nose. We need to take the fight to Talon before they take it to us,” Gabriel was shouting.  _

 

_ “I'm doing everything I can, I swear.” Jack flopped down into his seat defeatedly.  _

 

_ “Then why haven't we done anything?” _

 

_ “Petras. He's not letting me do anything, Gabe. He wants us under the radar.” _

 

_ “Then why have you been letting Blackwatch fight?” _

 

_ “Because I trust your judgement. I know you wouldn't do anything frivolous or unnecessary.” _

 

_ Gabriel surged forward and placed his hands on Jack’s shoulders. “Then trust me here. We need to do something before Talon eradicates King’s Row. It's still weak, and that's their target.” _

 

_ “I think,” Jack paused, collecting himself. “I think Petras is with Talon.” Gabriel let Jack get up and walk back to his screens. “I have a lot of evidence. His actions just point towards it, and encrypted files show that he’d been sending messages back and forth, hey, do you hear that?” _

 

_ Gabriel walked over to his side. “Yeah, kind of sounds like -” _

 

_ “a bomb,” they said in unison. The high pitched sound was faint, but audible to their trained, enhanced ears.  _

 

_ Jack scrambled to his desk, pressing the button that would order a base-wide evacuation. Gabriel screamed EVACUATION PROCEDURES NOW over the loudspeakers. The floors and walls shook as people ran for their lives. Jack grabbed his tablet, faceplate that he had been working with, and a frame, throwing the three things into a pack. Gabriel grabbed his hand, and they ran out of the room.  _

 

_ The cameras went out when it blew, but the last thing visible was Gabriel pinning Jack to the ground as shrapnel fell.   _

 

The video ended. Gabriel took off the visor, seeing Jack asleep on the bed. He put the visor back on, intending to look through the rest of the files about the explosion. The folder labeled memories caught his eye yet again, so he opened it, being instantly greeted by thumbnails of hundreds and hundreds of pictures. He opened the first one. It was a picture of the two during the SEP, Jack’s face bruised, yet he still was smiling. Gabriel had a baby face, a complete lack of facial hair, and looked very displeased with the current state of his life. The next one was a picture of Gabriel asleep in a hospital bed after a bad round of injections. Next was the picture of Ana, Gabe, and Jack. 

 

All the pictures had something in common, which was Gabriel. Every photo that wasn't a picture of the sky or ocean contained Gabe, much like Gabriel’s phone contained photos of Jack. 

 

“You found the photos, didn't you.”

 

Gabriel jumped at the voice, but settled when he saw Jack upright. “Yeah, I did.”

 

“Come here, Gabe. Lay with me.” 

 

“Jack, I can’t.”

 

“Please?”

 

“No.”

 

“Gabriel, you won’t hurt me. I promise. Even if you did, I wouldn’t care. I need you.”

 

“I need you too, Jack, we just have to play this smart.”

 

“If you needed me--”

 

“I’m TRYING to protect you.” Gabriel’s tone was angry and loud. Jack moved backwards, back pressing against the headboard. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I’m not mad or frightened, Gabe. You just startled me a bit, that’s all. You only ever yell when you’re--”

 

“Scared,” they said in unison. 

 

“I’m not really scared,” Gabriel started, “just scared that I’ll hurt you. What if I’m still under Talon’s control, and I just don’t know it? I don’t think you’d be willing to kill me to save yourself.”

 

Jack sighed. “You’re sort of right. I’d find some way to stabilize you and keep you from hurting anyone if you went Reaper again, but I have faith that you won’t do that. I don’t think the Reaper would be this protective of me. He did shoot me in the back.”

 

“Not fatally.”

 

“Nope.”

 

“If I would’ve allowed it, that shot would’ve been in your head. I remember that day, now.”

 

“What was going on?” Jack moved closer, hand resting on Gabriel’s knee.

 

“Talon sent me on a mission to kill you, they had been tracking you for months. None of their other assassins, not even Widowmaker, could kill you, so they sent me to do it. I obviously didn’t. It was weird. On my way to where you were, Egypt, was it?” Jack nodded. “Yeah, Egypt. I was angry. I didn’t know at what, but every time I was sent to kill, I remember feeling angry. When I saw you, that anger faded. I still tried to complete my mission, but I couldn’t. That happened every time I tried to kill you. It fucking sucked, Jack. I didn’t even know who you were, you were just a number, a name on my list. I was told to kill you and I didn’t because it didn’t feel right. I know I sound insane, but I guess the past few years were insane, and I’m sorry I tried to kill you.”

 

Jack had a smile on his face, and lunged forwards, engulfing Gabriel in his arms. The dark haired man reciprocated, nuzzling his face into his friend’s neck. He pulled away, muttering a quiet  _ sorry  _ when he realized that his exposed teeth and extra eyes might be causing Jack a weird sensation. 

 

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Thank you for telling me.” They stayed in the embrace. “I missed you so much, Gabi.”

 

“I missed you too, Jack. Now, get some sleep. You need it.”

 

“Stay with me, please.”

 

“Jack, I can’t. Stop trying to force me into it. I will when I’m ready, when you’re ready, and when  _ we’re  _ ready.”

 

Jack slumped against the headboard. “Okay, I’ll respect that.” Jack slipped under his covers, and Gabriel turned out the light on his way out, shutting the door gently. He bundled himself up on the couch, eyes shutting slowly, letting the world fade to black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see, eh? How have y'all been? I've not been writing much (sorry), but I am still interested in this fic! It will be finished! It will be painful! I promise! I said angst, and I am prepared to deliver. This chapter is hella cheesy, and I apologize, but I didn't really know how to make it not cheesy? Sorta? Either way, hope you enjoyed! As always, kudos, comments, and shares are always appreciated!!! Thank's y'all! Hopefully I won't be too long!
> 
> IN THE MEANTIME:  
> http://nextweekforsure.tumblr.com/  
> https://8tracks.com/kennyparse


	8. Chapter 8 // Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Jack talk things out a bit more.

Every single night continued like that. Jack and Gabriel would talk about what went wrong, they would fight, Gabriel would leave, Jack would get drunk, they’d talk again, and Jack would attempt to convince the dark-haired man to stay with him, to which Gabriel would always decline, until one night a week and a half later.

 

“Gabriel, please, stay.”

 

“Jack,” Gabriel said tiredly.

 

“You need sleep. I saw you trying to earlier, but you didn’t get rest. I know you say you don’t need it, but come the fuck on, Gabe. Look at yourself. You’re exhausted. Maybe staying with me can help.”

 

Gabriel sighed and stared into Jack’s eyes. “O-okay.”

 

“Really? Are you sure that you’re ready?”

 

Gabriel took a sharp breath. “It’s been a week and I haven’t tried to hurt you. Do you trust me?”

 

Jack chuckled. “I mean, I invited you to stay, didn’t I?”

 

“I need a yes or no answer, Jack.”

 

“Yes, Gabe, I trust you. Now go take off your twenty coats or you’ll burn under the covers.”

 

“I can’t feel things.”

 

“Okay, edgelord. Go put on something to sleep in.”

 

Gabriel left, leaving the door cracked, and ambled into the bathroom next to the guest room that Jack was staying in. He shut the door behind him, immediately fixing on his face in the mirror. He let his human form go, morphing back into a mass of eyes, teeth, and smoke. He’d have to keep a human facade on until Jack took his visor off, he didn’t feel comfortable showing him what he really was. 

 

He changed his clothes with thought, going from his arsenal of coats and belts to a tee shirt and pair of shorts, the rest flying away in plumes of smoke, which was probably his favorite part about being dead -- it required little to no effort to complete daily tasks.  

 

He left the bathroom, opened and closed the door, and headed back to Jack’s, doing the same to that door, but more quietly. He looked amicably at the man sitting upright in the queen size bed, visor glowing with a dull, red light as he read. Gabriel sat down softly, and he felt a strong hand caress his back.

 

“If you’re not okay with --”

 

“Jackie, I’m okay with it, I just don’t want to hurt you.” 

 

Jack took off his visor and placed it on the bedstand, pulled down the covers, and got under them, patting the side closer to Gabriel. The wraith laid down, too. This was his first time in an actual bed that wasn’t a crappy motel one or a couch, although it was nice (Jesse must’ve been really rich), and he melted into it. Jack’s arm wrapped around his stomach, and he jumped, causing Jack to pull back.

 

“Did I cross a line?” Jack asked, guilt evident in his voice.

 

“No, you didn’t, I just wasn’t expecting it.”

 

“Is it okay, then? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

 

“Jack, you’re the first person to show me amiable contact since before the explosion. The only contact I’d had as Reaper were fists thrown at me. It’s just surprising.” Gabriel reached backwards until he found Jack’s tense hand. He led it to where it was before, and Jack shuffled closer to get a more comfortable angle on his hold. “This is okay, I promise. I’d tell you if it wasn’t.” Jack nuzzled his head into the crook of Gabriel’s neck. “Goodnight.”

 

“Night, Gabi.”

 

Gabriel felt Jack’s breathing even out within minutes. Once he was confident Jack was asleep, he let his human form go, face and body morphing back into the monster he had become. Soon after, he passed out, exhausted.

 

He awoke to movement and noises indistinguishable to sleeping ears. As he awoke, he realized the movements were shakes, and the noises were quiet sobs. Gabriel quickly sat up.

 

“Jack, what’s wrong?”

 

“Fuck, I’m sorry, I tried so so hard not to wake you up--”

 

“That doesn’t matter to me, you should’ve woken me up the moment you realized something was wrong. What happened?”

 

“I didn’t drink last night.”

 

Gabriel’s eyes widened, then closed. “Okay.”

 

“The reason I normally do is that,” Jack took a deep breath, “whenever I don’t I have bad dreams and bad panic attacks and wake up feeling like I’m dying and I can’t stop it.” His words ran together, like he was embarrassed by them.

 

Gabriel gave a sorrowful look. “It's nothing to be ashamed of, Jackie. I'm here for you. Do you want to tell me about it?”

 

Jack nodded, shaking harder than before. “It was in Egypt. You told me you hated me and I deserved to die, which isn't what actually happened, so you know. Then you shot me in the back, chest, and face while laughing. Then you said you finally had your revenge.”

 

“Jack, I would never--”

 

“Doesn't matter that you wouldn't. It happened in my dream. I had to see it. It hurts, Gabe. I don't want to fight with you.”

 

“We don't have to fight. We can talk things out, now.” Jack looked away. “Can I hold you? Or would that be too much? I don't want you to be uncomfortable, because--”

 

Jack pushed Gabriel down until he was flat against the bed, then the white-haired man placed his head on the other’s chest. “You're not making me uncomfortable. You're supporting me, and not telling me it's invalid. That's all I want, all I need. Thank you.” Jack kissed Gabriel's collarbone, the only part of him he could reach from his position. “Goddamn, Gabe, when was the last time you showered?”

 

Gabriel still felt Jack’s shaking and quivering breaths. The heartbeat he felt was fast. “Uh, I haven't.”

 

“That's fucking disgusting. Get up, you're gonna shower.”

 

Gabriel sucked in a breath. “Can't.”

 

“Why not?”

 

Visions of long hours tied to tables and chairs, being repeatedly submerged, and the constant dripping -- “I just can't.”

 

“Gabriel, let me in.”

 

“I-I really can't, Jack. Not after what they did.” Gabriel felt the shift from Jack’s panic mode into his overprotective mode. His heart rate slowed, and the shaking diminished. 

 

“Fuck, sweetheart, what did they do to you?” Gabriel said nothing, waiting for Jack to realize his mistake. “Ah, fuck, fuckfuckfuck, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you that, I don't know what's happening, please--” his heart rate was picking up again. 

 

“Jackie, it's fine, it really is. I'm not telling you because I'm not ready to relive that experience. That's also why I haven't showered.”

 

“What if I went in there with you? Nothing sexual, just two dudes, chilling in a shower.”

 

Gabriel chuckled. “How the hell is being in the shower with someone else ever not sexual?”

 

“You’re scared of it, maybe I can help. Plus, you can leave your underwear on, that’s what I was going to do.”

 

He sighed out a cloud of smoke. “Okay. How are you feeling now?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

“Are you actually, though?”

 

Jack groaned. “Yes, Gabriel. I am fine. Do you want to do this now? You're getting clean before you get back in this bed.”

 

Jack put his visor on his face and got up. Gabriel followed, legs shaking as he took trembling steps. He gave up and ghosted next to Jack, maintaining a smoky form. 

 

“Jack, are you sure this is the right thing to do?”

 

“If you could smell yourself, you'd agree.”

 

Gabriel sighed and walked over to the shower. “Fine. You caught me, I'm scared.”

 

Jack grabbed his friend’s hand. “I won't let anything bad happen to you.” His visor made a  _ clang  _ as he placed it on the counter. “I promise.” He yanked his shirt off, exposing an undershirt. “Set the water to whatever temp you want.”

 

Gabriel laughed. “I can’t feel.”

 

“Then make it comfortable for your edgy ass self.” 

 

“Are you seriously going to shower with your undershirt on?”

 

Jack’s head fell. “I mean, yeah, it’s not weird.”

 

“I’m not going to judge --”

 

“Just turn the damn water on.”

 

Gabriel did as he was told, turning the dial midway, avoiding having to touch any of the liquid. He turned back to Jack, admiring the scars and recent cuts and bruises that were on the little skin he had exposed. Even with his shirt and underwear on, he was littered with them, much more than Gabriel remembered. “Alright.”

 

“You gonna hop in with your clothes on?” The wraith glared, shorts becoming swim trunks and shirt going up in a cloud of smoke. “I have no clue what just happened, so I’m just not going to question it.”

 

“I keep forgetting that you’re blind.”

 

“Not blind, my vision is just impaired. I see blobs.” Jack looked at the ground, before reaching back up to Gabe’s face, caressing lightly. “I promise that it’ll be okay, Gabi.” Jack’s hand moved right and clenched around the hair it found. “Wait, what the fuck? You have long hair?”

 

“Yeah, it’s been under my hood the entire time. I let it down after you fell asleep.”

 

“What the fuck, where’s my visor, I need to see this.”

 

Gabriel’s hand lightly grasped Jack’s wrist. “Nope. Not right now. Maybe after it’s clean.”

 

“Ugh fine. Help me in, we’re wasting water. I’ll go first if you guide me.”

 

Gladly the shower was not a bathtub shower, so Jack could step in easily. Gabriel was hesitant to follow, but stuck a foot in and was met with a slightly wet square of tile. He pushed himself onwards, nearly crushing Jack, who didn’t push him off. The water hit his back, sending chills down his spine. Jack looked at him expectantly, egging him on. He backed up another inch, water descending down his legs and neck. 

 

“Just your head now. You can do it.” Jack’s words of encouragement were soft, yet not ignored. 

He backed up the last step.

 

Memories flashed through his head. He couldn’t breathe. He crumpled to the floor, smoke escaping him then returning. The Reaper spoke to him, telling him what he should do.  _ KILL THEM ALL. KILL THEM ALL. QUICKLY. OR PAINFULLY. GET THE REVENGE YOU DESERVE. THEY DESERVE DEATH. BRING IT TO THEM. REAP THEIR SOULS.  _

 

“NO!” he shouted as Jack’s touch freed him from the control. The water was off. He was dripping. “Turn it back on. I’m doing this now. I figured it out, Jack. You’re the key.” Jack looked confused as Gabriel opened the floodgates of his mind. “You’re my anchor. Water’s the trigger. That’s how I became the Reaper. They tortured me with different types of water torture until I did their bidding, and then it evolved from there. You broke me out of it. That’s why I could never kill you. Tell me, the last time we saw each other before you were taken by Los Muertos, did you touch me? At all?”

 

Jack looked up, trying to remember. “You betcha. I grabbed your arm to try and push you down, and you smoked out.”

 

“So, now we know. We can fix it. As long as you’re with me, they can’t take me, and I won’t let them take you. You pulled me out of that stupid trance every time I saw you. As long as you’re with me, we can fix this.”

 

“So you want me around?”

 

“Yeah, Jackie, I really do.” Gabriel leaned in, grabbing Jack’s face in his hands.

 

“Woah there. You haven’t showered or brushed your teeth, man.”

 

“Fuck you, Morrison.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Jack turned the water back on. “I’m not letting go of you, I hope you know that.” Gabriel smiled, and Jack reached up to his face to feel for the expression. “Aw, you're smiling. Nice.”

 

Gabriel laughed. “Nice?” 

 

“Mm. Nice.”

 

Jack reached with the arm that wasn't wrapped around Gabriel’s waist for the soap. 

 

“You trying to tell me something?”

 

“Yeah. I'll be all sappy and shit when you're clean.”

 

Jack didn't let go the entire time Gabriel stood under the stream. Their hands were always latched together, which made certain aspects of showering complicated (one handed hair washing wasn't fun. Jack helped.).

 

“So, Jackie,” Gabriel started, “still hate me?”

 

Jack’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean that when I said it. I was just having a lot of emotions and shit. I thought you were dead for so long, then you try to kill me a few times, and we still have all this bad shit that we need to fix, and now I’m in the shower with you,” he stopped himself. “I don’t hate you. I never could. I tried. I tried really fucking hard to hate you. Something about you, I just can’t do it.”

 

“That makes me feel a bit better.”

 

“I’m glad.”

 

Jack carded his fingers through the shorter man’s curls as Gabriel turned the water off. “I could never hurt you, Gabe.” He pressed a quick kiss on Gabriel’s cheek. “Come on, I’m exhausted. Some of us actually need to sleep.” Jack still didn’t let go as Gabriel led him out of the shower, helped him find a towel (one-handed drying was also hard), or when they walked down the hall, neglecting the visor in his hand. Jack did put the visor back on, and let go of Gabriel so he could find clothes that weren’t wet. Gabriel could just vape his clothes into being. After his adventures with Los Muertos, Jack had no more than the clothes on his back, his gun, and his visor. Once he had settled in with Jesse, he went out to buy the cheapest shit he could find, so he put that on in the small walk-in closet.

 

Gabriel was looking at the ceiling but stared straight ahead at Jack when he heard the door reopen. “Hey.”

 

Jack climbed into bed, placing his visor on the nightstand, and wrapping his arms around Gabriel’s midsection. “Hi.” He pressed another kiss to Gabriel’s neck. “Goodnight.”

 

Gabriel moved as close to Jack as he could get, lodging himself into the man holding him. “Sleep well, Jack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, it has been a while again. I feel bad, but life has kind of been kicking my ass. This chapter is definitely really weird, but I really liked it conceptually. Not as much in execution. There will be more explanation as to what is happening with our favorite vape man, but for now, things will be slow and sappy. Not for a LONG time, though, there will be some action. 
> 
> As always, leave a comment letting me know what you liked/didn't like, and ways to improve! Kudos is nice too.
> 
> https://8tracks.com/kennyparse  
> https://reyesbutt.tumblr.com/  
> http://nextweekforsure.tumblr.com/


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